


38 Weeks

by Byakko_Kitsunetsuki



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Chuunin Exams, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Mpreg, Romance, Slice of Life, Work In Progress, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-10 03:35:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 41
Words: 318,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3275186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Byakko_Kitsunetsuki/pseuds/Byakko_Kitsunetsuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My version of the notoriously classic fanfiction theme of mpreg. Sasuke's on probation after being brought back to the village but that isn't going to stop him and Naruto from attempting to get what they want, a child. AU where Naruto got to Sasuke before Obito, chuunin exams, mpreg, OC ch.5 & onwards if you're curious but anti-OC (She's a subplot).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Seal

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally published on FFN- December 16, 2011. Because I'm in the process of duplicating my FFN account here, I won't be doing any revisions for a while but will take critiques from a new audience into consideration!
> 
> Hello! Welcome to my biggest project ever and I hope you all like it! For those who are newer, I have put this story on hiatus before and I have come back! This story has already been three years of effort, it will not be abandoned.

**May 8th**

"Sasuke, are you sure about this?" Naruto bit his lower lip and frowned at the unwrapped scroll in his hands, he had already memorized the hand signs but still he couldn't help himself to reread them just in case he messed up. It did little to reassure him.

The blonde stood in the doorway of the bathroom, in an oversized white sleeping shirt and orange boxers. They were in his apartment that he shared with Sasuke, staying out of the Uchiha's way until he was ready for him. They had moved all of their furniture into the kitchen area and closed the curtains above their bed, what they were about to do needed several layers of privacy. Sasuke, who was writing on the wooden floor with a small brush, dipped in black ink, stopped. Carefully setting the brush on a cloth next to a bottle of ink, he sat up and stretched his back, he had been leaning over the floor for an hour, maybe an hour and a half.

His nearly flawless skin grew taut over defined muscles on his back as he flexed and stretched any amount of soreness that could have built up. He wore no shirt and only black pants that loosely fell to his knees before tightening around his calves and hooking a band of cloth under the arch of his feet. Wiping away beaded sweat that had formed across his forehead, the last remaining Uchiha stood up. Naruto watched as Sasuke turned around and dusted his black pants off, eyes downcast at his legs. When Sasuke was done, he stepped forward and looked up, that emotionless mask that kept his eyes cold and a small scowl in place.

"Did you memorize the hand signs?" Sasuke bit out as his icy obsidian eyes stared into nervous azure ones. Naruto nodded and tried to speak but Sasuke continued. "Did you get me all the scrolls I asked for when I needed them?"

"Yes, Sasuke but-" Naruto tried to answer but Sasuke was relentless.

"Do you think that after three years with that snake pedophile I could have acquired mangekyou sharingan, an immunity too numerous poisons and gases but wouldn't have learned how to combine the simplest of jutsu to work perfectly to achieve a goal?" Sasuke continued to stare into Naruto's eyes, daring him to say anything. Naruto's insecurities fled from his mind for a moment, allowing anger to replace it.

"Teme, you know that's not what I meant," Naruto huffed. He angrily watched as Sasuke's mask slid and a look of slight annoyance and an even tinier hint of concern ruled the Uchiha's facial features. Once sure he knew Sasuke understood it wasn't Sasuke's part he was worried about, Naruto's fear returned as quickly as it had left. "Do you really trust me to do this? If I mess up even once you could get seriously fucked up or even worse you could die-"

Sasuke placed a palm over Naruto's mouth and rolled his eyes. "Dobe." Was all he said but for Naruto it wasn't enough.

Dropping the scroll in his hands, the blonde grabbed Sasuke's hand by the wrist and pulled it away from his mouth. He used his other hand to wrap around Sasuke's waist and pulled the dark haired male closer to him. Their chests bumped up against each other, Sasuke's chin just above Naruto's collarbone. Reacting to Naruto's actions, he looked up to tell the blonde off only to have his lips covered by another pair. Naruto's lips moved against Sasuke's, the blonde's tongue sliding across the Uchiha's lips in an attempt to gain access to the other's mouth. The Uchiha allowed Naruto's tongue to slip in, running across molars and canines before teasingly pushing into Sasuke's tongue. He attempted to tease the dark haired male into participating more in the kiss but Sasuke denied him, choosing to pull away instead.

"Do you love me?" Sasuke asked. His chest rising and falling at a slightly accelerated pace as he tried to calm himself down.

"Yes." Naruto replied. He stared into Sasuke's eyes with such sincerity and passion it almost took Sasuke's breath away, almost.

"Then you won't mess up." Sasuke stated with finality, he slipped his wrist out of the blonde's grip and pried the other off his waist. He turned back to the empty space in front of him and stared at the floor, double checking his work before kneeling down and picking the brush up again to start where he had left off.

"Are you sure this is the best way though?" Naruto asked, still uncertain. He bent down and picked up the scroll he had dropped and scanned its contents for probably the hundredth time. "Couldn't we ask someone to carry our child?"

"We've already talked about this Usuratonkachi; we can't use a surrogate mother because they are weak, hate one or both of us or are ninjas themselves. It's better if we do it."

"But you've done all the research, you shouldn't have to deal with carrying a kid for nine months too. I'll do it." Naruto spoke up. Sasuke didn't look up; too busy concentrating as he finished the circle on their apartment floor.

"Don't be an idiot, I'm forbidden to walk out of the village, the highest level of a mission I could possibly do is a D. If you're the size of a whale and unable to walk let alone perform B and A rank missions we won't be able to support ourselves financially." Sasuke's hand slowly raised the brush and dipped it in ink. "No, I'm the most logical choice to carry our baby, besides," Sasuke slowly finished scrawling the last part of the circle; he set the brush down on the cloth again and sat back, checking his work. "I'm normally on bottom anyway."

"But I have Kyuubi, he could-" Naruto started but Sasuke shook his head and stood up.

"None of the villagers would stand for it, they wouldn't know what Kyuubi would or could do to the embryo, the elders would demand an immediate termination and I don't think the Hokage could stop them. It's political suicide and would only give them reason to hurt out child." Sasuke sighed almost longingly as he stepped closer to his blonde.

"I don't want to hurt you, Sasuke. So many things could go wrong with this, so many things that I could mess up on." Naruto started again with what could happen if he made one wrong move. Sasuke rolled his eyes and put a hand on the scroll that Naruto was trying to memorize. Naruto looked up; his bright blue eyes filled with worry and of course love. With a small smile, Sasuke leaned up and kissed the blonde on his cheek.

"I trust you," Sasuke whispered. The Uchiha could feel the blonde shiver beside him. "The seal will do everything with you in steps, as long as you take your time you'll be fine." Naruto sighed and nodded but didn't look convinced. Rolling his eyes again, Sasuke pushed Naruto into the bathroom, taking the scroll from tan hands and setting it on the sink. Sasuke pulled Naruto to the toilet and sat him down, still annoyed with the fact that he needed to console the blonde. Was he really this much of an idiot?

"You want to be a daddy, don't you?" Sasuke asked. He climbed into Naruto's lap and pulled the blonde's face up with his hands. The blonde looked up at his dark haired lover with those big blue eyes.

"Yes." Naruto mumbled. Raising his hand to cover one of Sasuke's hands with his own.

"Then grow a pair of balls and a dick, Dobe 'cause you're going to need them." Sasuke smirked and watched as the blonde glared up at him, he pulled a second scroll from the sink and unrolled it.

"Is this the barrier?" Naruto asked. Dropping his hand and taking the scroll from the Uchiha. Nodding, Sasuke stood up from Naruto's lap and leaned against the shower door.

"Yes, a three layered barrier that protects all the weak spots within each layer. With your blood, it'll last twelve hours." Sasuke explained. He motioned to the rest of the apartment. "No one outside of these walls will know what we do in here for the next twelve hours from the moment your blood hits that scroll." Naruto looked it over then bit his thumb and slid it across the scroll, blood trailing behind it.

"Let's do this." Naruto semi-confidently muttered. The blonde set the scroll aside and stood up, hands meeting with Sasuke's in some old fashioned hand holding as they stepped out of the bathroom. Nothing seemed to have changed inside the small apartment but they were both sure the barriers were up. Sasuke let go of Naruto's hands and carefully stepped into the circle he had drawn, not wanting to smudge anything. Naruto stood outside the circle and watched as Sasuke sat down cross-legged in the center of the circle where no marking on the wood lay.

"Remember, Naruto, destroy the seal first before you make a new one." Sasuke tilted his head to the side to show the blonde the cursed seal that still sat in the crook of his neck and shoulder.

"Oh don't worry about that, Kyuubi is only too happy to get rid of that bastards mark." Naruto grinned at the memory of the fox pacing the length of his jail and ranting about how his mate should never be marked by another. Getting to his knees, Naruto took a deep breath and placed his hands on the giant circle, fingers placed in small circles where they were meant to be. Almost immediately, Sasuke went stone still, he could feel Sasuke trying to relax but his muscles quivered at the seal's binds.

Naruto could feel the seal pulling at him, begging for chakra to complete the task it was made for. With a deep breath, he allowed Kyuubi to supply him with chakra, he could feel his nails elongating and his teeth getting sharper. Pushing the red chakra into the seal, he saw the ink flare red as the chakra passed through it and then leaped from the floor to Sasuke's seal. The red chakra jaggedly forced its way up Sasuke shoulder, sharp fragments of it slipped from the main chakra, dissipating into the air. For a few moment, it beat against the seal, pounding through the protection and curse until they both broke simultaneously. Sasuke inhaled sharply as the curse tried to take over his body. Unwanted power attacking his chakra paths in such large amounts it was disgustingly breathtaking.

"Hang on, Sasuke." Naruto told the Uchiha as he released more chakra into the seal. The red chakra quickly covered Sasuke's body and forced the curse back up to the pale shoulder. A few more seconds and the curse collapsed, consumed by angry red chakra. Once the cursed seal was gone, Sasuke sighed in relief and visibly relaxed. The blonde retracted Kyuubi's chakra but kept his hands on the seal; his nails and teeth had shortened back to normal much to Naruto's relief.

"Thanks, Dobe." Sasuke muttered. Naruto nodded and focused on his chakra. The ink had slid back to black after he took back Kyuubi's chakra but now it slowly turned blue as Naruto's chakra passed through it. Liquid smooth lines of blue grew from the floor and rose to touch Sasuke's stomach; they touched Sasuke's pale skin then started to waver. Frowning, Naruto pushed more of his chakra into the seal and watched the lines grow thicker but they refused to do anything.

"You have to imagine it, Dobe, you wanted the curse seal gone and the chakra did it, you have to want to do this to me." Sasuke said. Obsidian orbs watched the blue chakra tentatively touch his stomach, it's warm touches giving the Uchiha goose bumps.

"I know that Teme, but I don't want it to hurt." Naruto replied, he sighed angrily and concentrated harder.

"Idiot, we're creating a space inside my body to carry a fetus. If it doesn't hurt it isn't working." Sasuke grunted. He tried to shift away from the prodding chakra but the seals binding held him in place securely.

"Fine, bastard." Naruto snapped, frustrated. He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes, pushing more and more chakra into the seal. The bright blue chakra thickened into one large blob, it pushed against Sasuke's stomach again and then finally sunk through the pale skin.

Sasuke winced as the chakra passed through his skin; it had grown hotter until it scalded his nerves and created a sharp stinging sensation in his abdomen. The stinging continued as the chakra created a small flexible 'space' inside Sasuke's abdomen. Once the space was made, the foreign chakra pooled around his hips, pushing against them. Surprised, Sasuke let out a choked sound as pressure was applied to his hips only to increase the pain he was in. Releasing his breath, Naruto opened his eyes to look worriedly at his boyfriend whose eyes were wide, mouth open in a silent scream.

"I'm sorry." Naruto whispered. Sasuke grunted and squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth so he wouldn't open his mouth again and scream. The chakra inside Sasuke stretched lower to his pelvis, it attached to his pubic symphysis and infused itself with the bone.

"Gyeh!" Sasuke's body quivered as the chakra forced the bone to lengthen and in turn pushed the rest of his body out of order. The chakra, still pushing at his hips, infused to it and widened them; Naruto could hear the bones moving under Sasuke's pale skin and saw them stretch his pants. Chakra moved up to the Uchiha's spine and infused itself to the lumbar vertebra of his spine, making Sasuke scream as it infused. Cringing at the sound of his boyfriend's cry of pain, Naruto could only watch as he refigured the Uchiha's skeletal system. Once Sasuke's spine was re-curved the chakra spread out, forming it's own space in Sasuke's abdomen underneath his skin. The rest of it was slowly oozing its way out of Sasuke's body. Sasuke was breathing heavily, eyes still closed as sweat dripped down his forehead and chest.

"Damn it, Dobe," Sasuke breathlessly hissed. "Why the hell were you messing with my spine?" Blue chakra slid up Sasuke's body, seemingly painless since Naruto didn't see Sasuke shudder as it slid up his skin.

"I wanted you to be as comfortable as possible while you're pregnant, I guess you needed it." Naruto said, watching as the blue chakra slid to Sasuke's shoulder and swirled where the curse seal used to sit.

"Just fucking finish it already, the sooner it's done the quicker I can fucking strangle you." Sasuke gritted out. He glared at Naruto from where he sat, still breathing heavily. Naruto nodded but didn't refute the Uchiha, focusing on the seal instead. Hissing as the chakra heated again, Sasuke could only bear the pain as it bit into his skin. Naruto continued to watch as a seal formed on the shoulder and when it finally was completed the chakra slid back down off of Sasuke and into the ink on the floor again.

The bright blue ink faded into black and then as quickly as it deactivated the ink popped up from the floor and shriveled in on itself until nothing but a light black dust remained. The seal was larger than the curse seal had been, it's diameter running from the crook of Sasuke's neck to the edge of his shoulder, squiggly black lines of ink surrounding what looked to be an Uchiha fan at the center; a line spiraling to the middle. The entire seal that Sasuke had spent hours making was gone. Said Uchiha collapsed onto his face on the floor when the binds were suddenly released.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he scrambled over to the Uchiha. The blonde pulled Sasuke up by the armpits into his chest, arms wrapping around the pale man's chest as his lower body rested on the blonde's legs. "Does it hurt?" Naruto asked. Sasuke just glared up at him.

"Now help me, Dobe," Sasuke muttered. He pointed to the table where a large syringe with a clear liquid inside of it lay. "I need you to put that in me while you're holding the seal." Naruto took the syringe and looked at, confused.

"Why?" Naruto asked. Looking to Sasuke who just rolled his eyes.

"Usuratonkachi." Sasuke muttered. Naruto began to protest but Sasuke rolled his eyes again and glared at the blonde. "I can't make eggs so I took some from the fertility clinic at the hospital when I was doing a mission over there. With the help of those books I had you get, I managed to take the DNA out of them and inserted my own, hopefully one of them will take and attach to the chakra wall." Naruto just blinked and continued to stare at his lover, utterly confused. Sighing exasperatedly Sasuke pulled down his pants.

"Put that in me while the seal is activated so when you cum inside me, I have a possibility of getting pregnant. Do I need to explain more?" Sasuke asked. Naruto grinned and shook his head, holding the syringe up with both hands. Sasuke got onto his hands and knees, pants pulled down to show his asshole, he lowered his upper body and looked back to Naruto who kneeled down behind him, pointing the syringe at Sasuke. Carefully, Naruto pressed his hand against Sasuke's left shoulder and focused some chakra into his hand, the seal slowly appeared in the black ink.

"Make sure to push it all the way in before you insert the liquid, Dobe." Sasuke instructed the blonde. Naruto nodded again and gently inserted the long thin end into Sasuke's ass. Wincing a little at the intrusion, Sasuke quietly endured it, when he felt the cold plastic rubbing against his ass cheeks he nodded and felt something cold fill up his insides.

"Is it working?" Naruto asked, he pushed the rest of the syringe down, the liquid forced down farther into Sasuke ass. Nodding, Sasuke felt that weird feeling slip into that empty space in his abdomen.

"Activate the seal, Dobe." Sasuke whispered hoarsely. Quickly, Naruto pulled chakra away from his fingertips and watched as the seal disappeared into Sasuke's skin. Once the seal completely disappeared, almost immediately Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.

"You okay?" Naruto asked. Nodding, Sasuke brought his hand to Naruto's shoulder and used it to sit up, wiggle his pants back on and then stand up. Wobbling a little, Sasuke still kept a hand on Naruto's shoulder and tried to stay upright.

"Yeah it worked," Sasuke muttered. "At least as far as I can tell but we won't know for sure until anything happens." Naruto bit his lip but didn't say anything.

Cautiously, Sasuke let go of Naruto's shoulder and wobbled over to a length-sized mirror they had set up beside the bed. Naruto got up and followed his lover, trailing close behind in case he fell over. Sasuke managed to keep upright and quickly learned that if he let his hips sway with every step his body adjusted almost automatically to keep him upright. Once in front of the mirror, Sasuke looked at himself with scrutiny. He brought his hands to his hips and felt them jut out from the rest of his figure, turning he continued to look at himself, fingers sliding down to the small of his back and ass.

"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke murmured as his fingers slid against his pronounced rump. "You gave me a bigger ass, you idiot." He glared at his reflection then turned his head to give the same glare at Naruto. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise before he came up behind Sasuke and touched his ass. True to Sasuke's word, his ass stood out just a little more than he remembered, the small of his back more defined than before.

"I guess it happened when I got to the spine." Naruto answered. Sasuke swatted the tan hand away and turned back to the mirror to frown at his ass as he mapped it out with his hands. "It's not permanent is it?" The blonde asked. He didn't like that Sasuke was angry but he hadn't intentionally done it, the chakra had done it without regret, its mission was to make Sasuke comfortable for carrying a baby.

"No, once we cut open the chakra uterus and detach the baby, my body will revert to its previous form, whatever is left of your chakra will dissipate or return to you." Sasuke sighed and let the frown and glare disappear, his hands falling to his sides. He didn't bother explaining the part about the unfertilized eggs; it would just confuse Naruto even more, at least at this point in time. "At least it isn't extremely noticeable. No one will notice the change unless they measured it." Turning away from the mirror Sasuke faced Naruto who was looking confused.

"What does my chakra do again?" Naruto asked. Sasuke chuckled and smiled, a hand coming up to his shoulder to rub the spot where the seal lay under his skin.

"It's keeping and protecting the makeshift uterus inside of me, since I'm not pregnant yet the excess chakra is connected to my own chakra channels and is helping my body deal with pain I'm in right now." Sasuke explained; he didn't miss the cringe that Naruto tried to hide when he brought up pain.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke." Naruto started but Sasuke rolled his eyes and stepped forward, his ass swaying behind him. Hesitating with his apology, Naruto watched Sasuke come closer and when their faces were inches apart, the blonde dipped his head down to kiss the Uchiha.

The Uchiha didn't protest as Naruto captured his lips, the dark haired man closed his eyes and pressed his body against his lover. Tan arms wrapped around Sasuke's waist, hands sliding down to his ass before gently squeezing the cloth covered globes, massaging them as an apology. A small moan came from the kiss. Naruto couldn't help but smile as Sasuke pushed his tongue against Naruto's mouth, begging for the blonde to ravish him. Naruto opened his lips and stuck his tongue out, immediately fighting for dominance against Sasuke's tongue.

Sasuke let another moan leave his lips as he rolled his hips against Naruto's, their arousals rubbing through the fabric of their pants. Naruto won the battle and plundered Sasuke's mouth as his prize, smiling when Sasuke mewled and reached up to grip Naruto's t-shirt. Breaking the kiss, Naruto slid his hands upwards to the hem of Sasuke's pants; he teased the skin just above them with his fingertips while he stared into Sasuke's obsidian orbs that reflected Naruto's lust filled emotions.

"You can make up for the pain," Sasuke gasped for breath that Naruto had stolen from him before smiling up at his blonde. "In bed." That was all Naruto needed. Kissing Sasuke again, he picked the Uchiha up by his hips and carried him to the bed. Sasuke wrapped his legs around Naruto's hips and dipped his tongue in the blonde's mouth.

Carefully, Naruto climbed onto the bed, bending down to set his Uchiha gently on the soft mattress. Sasuke continued to play with Naruto's tongue inside the blonde's mouth, hands pulling Naruto's shirt upwards. Naruto broke the kiss again; he straightened himself and pulled his shirt over his head and off completely. He tossed the shirt and looked back down to see Sasuke licking his lips as he looked over the Dobe's muscled chest. Smiling, Naruto leaned down to attach himself to the Uchiha's neck by his lips and sucked on the pale skin roughly. Sucking a hickey made Sasuke wriggle underneath him, gasping a little at every suck on his pale skin.

"Naruto." Sasuke moaned as he craned his neck in hopes that Naruto would use every inch to his advantage. The blonde did, he licked his way down Sasuke's neck, nipping at the skin and enjoying the sounds Sasuke made. When Naruto reached Sasuke's shoulder, the Uchiha inhaled sharply and shied away from Naruto's mouth. Surprised Naruto raised his head, questioningly looking at him.

"Sasuke, is your shoulder sensitive because of the seal?" Naruto asked. All Naruto got in response was Sasuke refusing to look at him. Seeing his chance, Naruto let his whole body cover Sasuke's so he could use his hands in pleasuring his lover. Tan fingers ran over pink nipples, bright blue eyes watched as Sasuke shut his own eyes tightly, cringing at the pleasure.

"Let it out, Sasuke, we both know you love it when I tease your sensitive spots." Naruto smiled when Sasuke just shook his head, quivering as pleasure raced across his body. Naruto continued to play with Sasuke's nipples, rubbing them with the pad of his thumb then pinching them into hardness. When Sasuke refused to make a sound, Naruto leaned down to Sasuke's left shoulder and bit it, soft enough he didn't break skin. Sasuke gasped out, hips rising against Naruto's arousal and making the blonde moan softly against the Uchiha's shoulder.

"I, I want it, Dobe." Sasuke groaned. His hands finally moved to Naruto's back, fingers hooking the blonde's pants and pulling them halfway down, freeing Naruto's hard erection. Naruto ignored Sasuke's plea in favor for nibbling on his shoulder, sucking on the skin to try to get Sasuke to moan again. Sasuke's hands travelled to Naruto's front and grasped Naruto's cock as the blonde gave him a hard suck on the shoulder, tweaking his nipples again. Both men moaned and Naruto released Sasuke's shoulder, a dark hickey forming there.

"Now, Naruto." Sasuke breathlessly ordered. He ground his hips up into Naruto's erection. Naruto released Sasuke's pink nubs and raised himself up on his hands and knees, Sasuke was still holding onto his erection. Slowly, the Uchiha let the cock slide from his grip, fingers still barely touching it, ghosting over the hardened limb. Shuddering in pleasure, as Sasuke let him go Naruto reached over to their bed stand, opened the drawer and pulled out lube. With Naruto busy, Sasuke shimmied out of his pants until they rested on his thighs where he met the problem of Naruto on top of him.

"Oh," Naruto muttered as he looked back down at Sasuke to see what the problem was, then slid off the bed and took his pants off, watching as Sasuke did the same and kicked them off the bed. "There, much better." Smiling, Naruto got back on the bed, kneeling over Sasuke who was lustfully glaring at him.

Leaning back down, Naruto kissed Sasuke's left shoulder gently, a hitch in his breath was the response. Moving lower, the blonde set his lips on a pert, pink nipple, then the other. Sasuke's hands grasped the sheets of the bed, watching Naruto taste him. His lips moved lower, hands rising up to trail after his mouth down his chest, his mouth stopped at Sasuke's belly button, his tongue dipping down to explore the small cavity. Sasuke raised his hips, cock throbbing to be touched and unhappy that it hadn't yet. Once Naruto finished exploring his boyfriends' belly button, he travelled lower, hands sliding down the Uchiha's hips to hold him down as he kissed the outermost pointing bone on the Teme's right hip.

"Usuratonkachi." Sasuke growled out. He was sick of being teased, more than ready for something much dirtier. Naruto just smiled and went lower, lips kissing the skin of Sasuke's inner thigh. Sasuke would have protested if not for Naruto's hair grazing against his erection, the spikes of blonde agonizingly teasing him, giving off small quick jolts of pleasure. Finally, Naruto moved to a place that Sasuke really enjoyed. The blonde slid his hands to between Sasuke legs so he could get in between them and dipped his tongue into another cavity of Sasuke's body, Sasuke moaned as he felt Naruto's tongue inside him, rimming him.

"Aah." Sasuke held the sheets tighter. Arching his back upwards so his ass pushed into the bed as he tried to get more of Naruto's tongue inside of him. Naruto took the invitation and thrust his tongue deeper, earning more moans. Once Naruto was sure Sasuke was thoroughly needy, he pulled his tongue out and licked his lips, watching the Uchiha squirm at the loss of the tongue. Naruto's hands wandered across the bed for the lube he had forgotten, he found it innocently sitting by Sasuke's hips.

"Give me two seconds, Sasuke, tonguing you won't be enough preparation." Naruto rubbed Sasuke's leg before uncapping the lube and pouring some into his palm.

"Quickly Dobe, I want to feel you inside of me." Sasuke moaned. He raised his legs to show Naruto just how needy he was. Naruto licked his lips again at the sight as he dipped three fingers in the lube and once his fingers were sufficiently covered in the cool gel, he placed one at Sasuke's entrance.

Tired of waiting, Sasuke lowered his legs a little, pushing his ass to the finger but it wasn't enough to push the finger inside of him. Naruto got the hint and slowly pressed his finger inside of Sasuke. Gently, Naruto slipped his entire finger in, hooking it once it was all the way in to earn a small groan; the Uchiha moved his hands upwards to grasp the pillow, obsidian eyes watching the blonde's expression.

"Hey Sasuke," Pulling his finger out and adding a second finger before he pushed them back in, Naruto watched with slight confusion. "How is this going to work? I know the seal is protecting the thingy but how am I going to open it to, you know, to help make the baby?" The confusion on the blonde's face was so endearing that Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle through the moan that he let out, Naruto had started rubbing against his prostate unknowingly.

"Unless I'm pregnant it will open every time you enter me and will close when you pull out, once I'm pregnant and the blastocyst attaches to the chakra uterus' wall, it won't open again until the baby is ready to be born." Sasuke answered, sighing in pleasure as Naruto pushed in a third finger, purposefully hitting his prostate now. At this point he would ramble off any information the blonde wanted to know whether or not Naruto could understand it.

"Alright then, you ready?" Naruto asked. He slid his three fingers out and wiped the excess lube on the sheets, he used what was left in his palm to cover his erection with and then placed it in front of Sasuke's entrance. Sasuke wasn't even able to voice consent before Naruto sheathed himself inside of the Uchiha.

"Ye-aah!" Sasuke groaned when he was suddenly filled, hips rising to meet with Naruto's fluidly slow thrust. He watched Naruto watch him, that lust filled gaze taking in his own. His blonde started slow, pushing himself to inside to the hilt before pulling almost completely all the way out and then pushing in again.

"Is, it, working?" Naruto asked. Punctuating each word with a thrust, the blonde let his hands rest on Sasuke's waist as he started to move faster.

"Fuh-uck yeah, it's being pushed into my, nyah, prostate." Sasuke moaned. Sasuke closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensations that Naruto was giving him. A light blush covered his face, which made Naruto, who was looking down at his lover, harder at the sight.

"Sasuke," Naruto started moving faster, pulling halfway out before pushing back in quick sharp thrusts. "You are so fucking hot."

"Nngh, dah-Dobe." Sasuke moaned an incoherent retort, subconsciously spreading his legs wider for Naruto to thrust deeper.

"Mm, hm." Naruto grunted his agreement to whatever his lover had meant to say. Slowing his pace Naruto pulled out farther, then rammed himself back inside. Sasuke's eyes widened, hips rising again as a gasp escaped past his lips. Smirking, Naruto pulled out slowly, then rammed into Sasuke again; earning a choked scream. Continuing at this pace, Naruto pleasurably watched Sasuke twitch and jerk under him, listening to the Uchiha's increasingly louder moans and half silent screams of pleasure.

"Mo-move fa-ah! Faster, I'm gonna, cum." Sasuke gasped out. In response, Naruto changed his pace back the deeper, faster thrusts. He leaned down and captured Sasuke's lips in a heated kiss, both sides needy for the other's tongue.

"I love you." Naruto whispered as he broke the kiss, his big blue eyes half lidded in pleasure watching Sasuke's reaction. A blush spread over the Uchiha's cheeks again as he stared back the blonde for a second before squeezing his eyes shut, biting his lower lip and wrapping his arms around Naruto's shoulders.

"Naruto!" Sasuke cried out as he came, he pulled Naruto down so that their chests were against each other and creating friction as Naruto continued to thrust into him. Cum spurted onto both of their chests, the Uchiha's ass muscles clenching around Naruto's erection in quick spasms. Those tightening spasms, combined with the erotic face that Sasuke was making, were enough to push Naruto over the edge. With one final thrust Naruto bit down on Sasuke's left shoulder and came inside his Uchiha. Both males were breathing heavily; Sasuke had opened his eyes and lazily watched Naruto try to gain control of his breathing. Once Naruto found the strength, he pulled out and collapsed beside his lover, arm draped over Sasuke's chest.

"That was cheap." Sasuke muttered. Turning his head to look at the blonde who was trying and failing not to smile.

"What are you talking about, Teme?" Naruto innocently questioned. The edges of his lips twitching as the smile won out against his composure.

"Dobe." Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes, basking in the after glow of sex as Naruto's essence slowly slipped out of him onto the sheets of their bed. A comfortable silence settled between them until Naruto shifted, lying on his side so he could snuggle up against Sasuke.

"How will we know when you're pregnant?" Naruto asked. He raised his hand from Sasuke's chest and slid his fingers through Sasuke's black hair and twirled silky black strands through his fingers. Sasuke leaned towards Naruto's hand and raised his own hand to his abdomen.

"The seal will appear on my shoulder when a fetus attaches to the walls of it," Sasuke murmured. Pulling away from Naruto, he sat up on the bed. "I'm going to take a shower." Naruto watched as Sasuke stood up and stepped toward the bathroom, When he was in the doorway, Sasuke looked back with a smirk on his face. Sure that his Dobe was looking, Sasuke slowly slid his hands over his own butt and pulled his ass cheeks apart. Naruto could see his cum oozing out of Sasuke's asshole from where he laid, his mouth dropped as he stared at the sight, completely shocked. Rolling his hips slowly back and forth, Sasuke watched as Naruto licked his lips and shifted on the bed.

"You coming, Dobe?" Sasuke asked. He massaged his own ass with his hands and watched as Naruto shifted on the bed. The Uchiha disappeared into the bathroom, still smirking, and all Naruto could do was sit in shock for a few seconds before getting out of bed and run into the bathroom after his lover, grinning from ear to ear.

Sasuke gave the bathroom a cursory glance, everything was as it should be and he relaxed again. He knew his ability in barrier making was excellent but there would always be someone who could break through a barrier, no matter how strong. The window was open behind the flimsy curtains the Dobe had put up, a light orange color. Cautiously, he peeked out from the side of the curtain. There didn't seem to be anyone there, this was the only side of the house that had an opening at the two weakest parts of the barrier. Looking farther out, he saw an anbu standing on the roof across the street, facing away from the apartment.

Slowly, Sasuke moved away from the window and readjusted the curtain so he wouldn't worry about it anymore, the worst thing that could happen would be they would break it in the middle of their shower sex. Sasuke turned around to see Naruto barging into the bathroom, goofy grin and all. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blonde but didn't reject the bear hug the blonde captured him in. Lips attacked his neck and sucked hard, hands moving down to the small of his back.

"Why so cuddly all of a sudden?" Sasuke asked. The Uchiha raised his arms to return the hug and loosely held the blonde to him, resting his head on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto hesitated speaking, tightening his grip on the Uchiha as he let go of the skin between his teeth.

"I love you." Naruto murmured and Sasuke smiled a bit. "Thank you Sasuke."

"You made up for it Naruto, you don't need to thank me." Sasuke muttered, embarrassed. He felt Naruto's hands slide to his waist and pick him up. Instinctively, Sasuke wrapped his legs around the blonde's waist, arms moving to grip his shoulders tightly.

"I can't thank you enough, for staying with me, for making me the happiest person alive. Hell, for changing your body so you could carry our child." Naruto carried his lover into the small shower stall, pressing Sasuke's back into the cold tile. Their lips met in a chaste kiss, Naruto's lips breaking away to mark a trail of kisses down the Uchiha's jaw and neck. The Uchiha sighed softly and held onto the blonde shoulders tighter.

"You're such a Dobe," Sasuke muttered. Naruto stopped his kisses and looked into his lovers eyes solemnly. "I'm the one who doesn't deserve you, after all you've done for me I owe you everything." Sasuke stopped and pulled Naruto's head by his hair up to kiss him, tongue slipping into the blonde's mouth. Before the blonde could start a battle of the tongues, Sasuke broke the kiss and hugged Naruto close to him. "Besides," Sasuke whispered in the blonde's ear. "I want a child as much as you do and I'm obviously willing to do almost anything, regardless of how pleasurable it is getting pregnant." He ground against Naruto's waist, hardening cock rubbing against washboard strong abs. Naruto grinned and let his eyes glaze over, the moment of self doubt between the two of them gone as the blonde leaned forward again and kissed Sasuke's neck. Biting gently down to his collarbone.

"Ready for round two?" Naruto asked, grinning again.

"Hn, Dobe." Sasuke muttered as the blonde let him down and reached for the tap to turn on the shower.

Cold water hit both of them simultaneously, Sasuke shivered slightly as it quickly turned to hot. The two embraced again, lips meeting in a kiss. Naruto's hand came up to cup Sasuke's chin as he licked the Uchiha's lip, asking for entrance. Sasuke gave it to him willingly, opening his mouth quickly to let his own tongue push up against Naruto's. They battled briefly but Sasuke conceded when the blonde ground their hips together. Naruto's hand let go of Sasuke chin and pulled the Uchiha closer by the waist, their erections pressing against each other and making Sasuke moan.

Biting the Uchiha's lip, Naruto broke the kiss and grinned. Hands were running lower to the Uchiha's pale ass, he massaged the pale globes roughly as his fingers slid into the crevice between them. Moaning again, Sasuke pulled out of the kiss, water pouring down through his hair and spraying off into Naruto's face. The water didn't affect Naruto; he grinned like usual and leaned down for a quick peck on the lips before nuzzling his neck affectionately.

"Ready?" Naruto asked.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered in response. Naruto let go of him and excitedly the blonde kissed the Uchiha's shoulder before Sasuke turned around. The Uchiha placed his hands on the shower wall and stuck his ass out for Naruto, knowing full well he would accept the invitation. Exactly as Sasuke thought, Naruto leaned over him, spreading kisses across Sasuke's back. Warm hands sliding down to his ass and parting his ass cheeks, a finger pressing against his entrance gently. Pushing his ass into the questioning finger, Sasuke looked back at Naruto, his blonde hair the only part of the blonde's head he could see. Teeth nipped at his shoulder blade affectionately.

"I don't need preparation, Usuratonkachi, just fuck me already." Sasuke grunted. Naruto's finger slipped away from his asshole and his mouth licked the spot where he had bit. Sasuke could feel Naruto behind him, positioning his cock at Sasuke's entrance as he parted his ass cheeks again. Sasuke could feel the pressure Naruto was applying as he pushed his cock into Sasuke ass.

"Shit, your so tight, Sasuke." Naruto grunted. He pushed himself all the way inside his lover. "You okay?"

"F-hn, Dobe." Sasuke moaned. Naruto gently pulled out and pushed back in slowly. Water rained against Sasuke's back and he pushed back into Naruto. "Harder, Usuratonkachi." Naruto leaned over him, chest resting on Sasuke's back and his hands covering Sasuke's against the shower wall. As Sasuke requested, Naruto picked up his pace and thrust harder, his mouth nipping at the Uchiha's neck. Moaning, Sasuke closed his eyes and let the sensations attack his senses, Naruto kept at it thrusting harder into the body below him. His hands travelled down Sasuke's arms down to his chest, pinching pink nipples as water slid down both their backs.

"Ah-Naruto, mh." Sasuke groaned as one hand traveled farther south to his neglected erection and pumped it swiftly, water sliding down his arm and into his closed palm. It made Sasuke shiver and his knees almost buckled. It was Naruto who held the Uchiha up, his hand moving from pert nipple to grip his whole chest as he quickened his pace again.

"Heh, so, vocal, today, aren't you, Sasuke?" Naruto asked in time with each thrust, he felt Sasuke shudder beneath him, a small whimper escaping the male's throat. "Let it out, Sasuke. You know it excites me when you scream." Grinning, Naruto felt Sasuke's knees almost buckle again.

"That's mh, exactly why ah!" Sasuke cried out as one of his hands coming down to grip Naruto's on his chest. Slowing down, Naruto angled his hips a certain way and gave one quick hard thrust that made Sasuke scream out.

"Naruto!" Sasuke cried out as Naruto's cock hit his prostrate. He clenched his eyes shut and clawed at Naruto's hand on his chest, his knees actually buckled this time and he nearly fell.

"Damn it, Sasuke, how can you get fucking tighter?" Naruto grunted as he pulled away again before giving a few light thrusts. Sasuke, who was trying to regain what little composure he had left, got his footing again and returned his hand to the shower stall wall.

"Shut up, Dobe," Sasuke said in between his gasps for air. "I'm close." Naruto grinned again and started thrusting harder and deeper. More moans and cries of pleasure escaped out of Sasuke's mouth, which only furthered to excite the blonde as he himself came closer to his own completion.

"Me too Teme." Naruto whispered huskily into Sasuke's ear, he let his thumb slide over the slit of Sasuke's cock and felt the Uchiha shiver again.

"St-stop it." Sasuke moaned out. Naruto refused the request and gave several hard thrusts, he could feel Sasuke tightening around him. He went back to pumping Sasuke's cock and felt Sasuke orgasm, climaxing in his hand and tightening around the blonde's cock.

"Naru!" Sasuke called out, he didn't fall but he clenched his fists and curled his toes. Naruto grunted his acknowledgement and gave one final thrust before he too, came. Dropping his hand from Sasuke's softening length and gripped his waist instead Naruto emptied his load inside his lover.

"Fuck, Sasuke." Naruto mumbled; he kissed the Uchiha's neck again, sucking a hickey into place. He straightened himself out and Sasuke frowned as lukewarm water cascaded down his back, their water would bill would be expensive this month. Naruto took another minute to regain his breath before he pulled out, his cock slick with a residual substance of their activities. Sasuke stood up straight; he bent his knees and stretched. Sore from being in the same position to long he turned around and wrapped his arms around Naruto's shoulder and kissed the blonde languidly. The blonde wrapped his arms around the Uchiha's waist and kissed him back, slowly opening his mouth to explore Sasuke's. Slipping his tongue over Sasuke's canines, Naruto released Sasuke's waist to blindly search for soap on the rack below the showerhead. Sasuke broke the kiss and lowered his head to kiss Naruto's collarbone.

"I love you." Sasuke whispered as he kissed his way up Naruto's collarbone, he listened to Naruto chuckle as the blonde leaned into him and then suddenly pulled back. Looking up, Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the blonde who held up a bar of soap with a grin.

"You love me enough to let me wash you?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and nodded, hoping the Dobe wouldn't want to go a third round. Naruto quickly lathered the soap in a hand towel and started with Sasuke's chest, he didn't seem to be making a pass at the Uchiha so Sasuke let him go further. Naruto washed the Uchiha's chest and arms, gently washing the Uchiha's flaccid cock and had Sasuke turn around so he could wash his back and lower areas. Sasuke tensed as soon as Naruto's cloth reached for his ass and relaxed when all Naruto did was wipe away the dripping semen from his sensitive hole. Once Naruto was finished with Sasuke he hurriedly soaped himself up as Sasuke rinsed off, watching the blonde clean himself off. As Sasuke finished rinsing he stepped out of the shower and watched as Naruto took his spot under the cold water and washed away the suds of soap off his body.

"You know, I think you're ass looks really good, despite me changing it and all." Naruto said nonchalantly, he watched as Sasuke dried off with a towel. Sasuke flipped him the bird and walked out of the bathroom, towel over his shoulders and ass still swaying. Quickly finishing in his quick shower, Naruto turned off the showerhead and grabbed another towel off the rack, running it through his hair before wiping down his body quickly. He walked out of the bathroom and looked for his lover who was walking around in the kitchen with his hands on his ass and the lights off, getting used to his new walking pattern.

"Sasuke, come here." Naruto called out. Sasuke looked up and made his way over to the blonde as he lowered his hands; his skill in walking had improved. Sasuke walked forward without a single tottering move, his hips swaying only faintly with each step. As soon as Sasuke was close enough, Naruto pulled the Uchiha into a bear hug, picking the male up off the floor. "Stop worrying."

"Hn," Sasuke muttered. He wrapped his legs around Naruto's hips and arms around his shoulders, the blonde puckered his lips for a kiss but Sasuke just stared at him. Naruto wasn't affected by the lack of affection; it was usual for the Teme. Walking over to the bed, Naruto kneeled down on it and gently set his lover down, Sasuke watched as Naruto leaned down and kissed him again, chastely.

"No one will notice, and even when they do it'll be too late for them to do anything about it." Naruto whispered, he fell to the side and lay next to Sasuke. Said Uchiha unwrapped his legs but pulled the blonde closer by the shoulders and went for another kiss. They kissed once more, leaving Naruto smiling, he went down for another kiss, and another. All of them were chaste and lip only, both tired from their activities.

"Usuratonkachi." Sasuke mumbled quietly, he sounded worn out. Naruto grinned and held the Uchiha closer.

"Night, Sasuke." Naruto whispered, Sasuke felt the blonde shift one last time before he settled down, both closed their eyes and drifted off.


	2. Results

**Still May 8th**

He had been sleeping peacefully, Naruto's arm wrapped around his waist a comforting presence when he fell in and out of REM. He had trained his body to fall into REM every fifteen minutes and then fall back out of it in five. The rest of his sleep was so light he knew he was asleep and ready to snap out of it in a second in case any enemy was waiting to attack. Then the feeling came upon him suddenly; it was the feeling that woke him from his REM sleep and Sasuke knew exactly what that feeling was. That irritating feeling of being watched by someone unwanted. As soon as Sasuke's eyes opened, he was aware of more than one presence entering the small apartment.

Naruto was still soundly asleep next to him; their limbs entangled which made it hard for Sasuke to prepare for a fight. Several enemies were already reaching towards them, their shadowy figures darker than the rest of the apartment. Sasuke lashed out with his free arm but it was grabbed before he could cause any damage, they gripped his wrist and tugged him from the bed. Sasuke could feel Naruto halfway following him off the bed, snorting as the falling sensation woke him up. The grip on his wrist turned and his whole arm was behind his back, an arm holding his neck back as he was dragged from the bed. Attempting to get on his feet, Sasuke pushed his feet into the floor but it was hard with the enemy continuously stepping backwards.

There was no weapon pressed against any of his vitals, no sharp stab of someone blocking his pressure or chakra points. This enemy was trying to stop him from attacking, which probably meant that the enemy was the anbu squad he had been worried about twelve hours ago. Suddenly, the fluorescent lights from the ceiling blinded Sasuke; he blinked quickly and counted the enemies. Six anbu, Kakashi and Tsunade, the Hokage were there, neither of the last two looked happy.

His first instinct was to fight his captor but he held himself back, knowing it would cause more trouble for both himself and Naruto. He relaxed his body, letting his shoulders drop and chin rest on the anbu's elbow. Sasuke watched as Naruto was grabbed by his shoulders and pushed to stand up but the blonde was still mostly asleep and slumped on the anbu holding him. Angrily, the anbu slapped Naruto upside the head, the blonde yelped and curled inward, hands reaching for his head.

"Fuck!" Naruto yelled. He squeezed his eyes shut as pain coursed through his head. Then, he opened his eyes and all Sasuke could see was anger in those icy blue depths. "What the hell are you doing here?" Naruto growled, he stood up on his own feet and pushed the anbu away from him. Blue eyes darted towards the white haired jonin and the way older blonde Hokage to Sasuke who was currently held hostage. "Let him go." Naruto started to step forward towards Sasuke and his captor but Kakashi moved to stand in his way. "What the hell, Kakashi?" Naruto yelled.

"Calm down Naruto. You need to cool down so we can talk this out. Violence is not what you need right now." Kakashi calmly told the blonde. "Sasuke seems to understand this well enough." The white haired ninja turned to look at Sasuke, that one eye knowingly staring at him. At this Naruto seemed to relax some, the glare softening and his body going lax. Now Tsunade stepped forward, her hazel eyes watching Sasuke angrily.

"Find out who put up the barrier." Tsunade motioned for one of the anbu to do the task and the masked man disappeared to check out the house.

"It's in the bathroom on the sink." Sasuke muttered. He watched as the anbu reappeared, coming back from the bathroom, the scroll rolled up. "I created it but Naruto put it into effect by his own will." The anbu handed the scroll to Tsunade who unrolled it and confirmed what Sasuke was saying. Handing the scroll back to the anbu, Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Why would you do this? Both of you know what's at stake here." Tsunade mumbled. Sasuke stayed silent but Naruto took another step forward, angry again.

"It doesn't concern you, any of you, this was between me and Sasuke." Naruto growled out, the anbu behind him stepped forward with him, arm reaching out to grasp the blonde's shoulder.

"Sasuke is still considered a risk, regardless of what you think and how he acts. Creating a barrier that blocks his anbu watch is an immediate flag. For that reason alone, I could have you executed." Tsunade turned to Sasuke and watched him with those sharp brown eyes. "What would possess you to risk everything you both have worked so long and hard for?"

"We didn't do anything wrong! Sasuke is still here in the village, he's been nothing but fucking perfect all these months! You still think he's a flight risk?" Naruto burst out. He attempted to shrug the hand off his shoulder but the anbu tightened his grip.

Sasuke took a deep breath, holding in his anger and he answered carefully. "It was something Naruto and I had to do alone, it didn't concern the village. It was a private matter." Sasuke looked to Naruto, hoping the blonde would calm down before he did something irrational.

"So this matter has been fixed?" Tsunade asked. She regarded Sasuke carefully, looking for anything that would contradict what he said. Naruto grit his teeth but didn't move from where he stood.

"It has." Sasuke shifted in his position, the anbu only tightening his grip in response. The blonde Hokage's eyes narrowed and she stepped closer, the clacking of her heels the only sound in the room. Her eyes not looking at Sasuke's face but at his shoulder where the flawless skin was marred with only bite marks and a hickey. Sasuke shifted again, the first time was to point the woman in the right direction, to see that his cursed seal was gone. This time it was real, he didn't want her to look to hard and find the new seal, that would ruin everything.

"I see." Tsunade muttered, she examined his shoulder for a few more moments and then closed her eyes, sighing heavily. "You're both stubborn idiots." She said finally waving her hand at the anbu holding Sasuke. The anbu released Sasuke's arm and neck, stepping back away from the Uchiha as he did so. Sasuke just massaged his wrist for a moment before letting it drop to his side; it would leave a small bruise if anything at all. "Kakashi," Tsunade called out the Jonin's name before continuing. "It looks like we won't be needing your Sharingan to retain anyone. Go home." Kakashi gave a small bow before looking over at Sasuke with a knowing look and then disappearing.

"All of you!" Tsunade barked, pointing at the anbu. "Get out of here, these idiots just wanted to break Sasuke's curse seal by themselves instead of letting a professional do it before doing it so go on! Scat!" The anbu obeyed, each giving a head bow before disappearing as well, their presences gone from the small apartment. Sasuke relaxed a little until Tsunade turned back on him, finger pointed at his noise. "Listen brat, next time you do a stupid move like that let me know so I don't have to deal with the repercussions you made tonight. You owe me a bottle of sake and I expect it after your mission tomorrow." With that Tsunade huffed angrily and walked out the front door. "And put some clothes on, I swear you're trying to turn the whole anbu squad gay."

At the last comment Sasuke blinked, looking down he realized that throughout the entire interrogation, which had taken maybe four minutes total, he had been completely naked. The door slammed shut but neither of the occupants in the apartment were paying attention to the Hokage leaving.

"Aw hell!" Naruto whined. Sasuke looked up to see Naruto covering his face with his hands, most likely since he was in almost the same state Sasuke was, completely naked only no kiss marks and scratches all over his body. At first Sasuke just watched Naruto lament over the discovery of their already obvious 'secret relationship' and then just chuckled and grinned. Naruto looked up, eyes peeking through his fingers.

"Teme, why are you grinning? We could have gotten into so much shit for that." Naruto nearly screamed. Sasuke walked over to his lover and wrapped his arms around the blonde's shoulders, tilting his head upwards to look up at his lover.

"But we didn't," Sasuke murmured. He let Naruto pull his hands down, they came to Sasuke's waist and pulled the Uchiha's lower body closer to his own. "And you trying to protect me kind of turned on. I knew I had been perfect but apparently I was _fucking_ perfect." Blonde eyebrows rose up at the sultry tone Sasuke took as he leaned forwards for a quick peck on the lips, their hips grinding against each other. Naruto grinned when Sasuke backed out of the kiss and followed the Uchiha's lips. They kissed again, Naruto sucking on Sasuke's lower lip.

"Really? What do you want me to do about turning you on?" Naruto asked after he broke the kiss, grinning from ear to ear. Sasuke bat his eyelashes, mocking what a girl would do and ground his hips against Naruto's.

"Fuck me?" Sasuke asked. Naruto chuckled and lifted Sasuke up by his hips. Instinctively, Sasuke wrapped his legs around Naruto's waist, readjusting his arms so he could properly be face to face with his blonde. Naruto turned around and headed towards the bed as Sasuke leaned forward and kissed Naruto again, tongue running across the blonde's lower lip before biting it softly. Said blonde moaned as he reached outwards and fumbled his hand against the wall looking for the light switch.

With a click, the fluorescent lights turned off and once again, Sasuke and Naruto were left in total darkness. It was either late at night or extremely early in the morning, not that the two cared. Stumbling back to the bed, Naruto leaned forward and carefully set Sasuke on the bed, their lips locked in a soft battle for dominance. Sasuke gave in and let the blonde above him map out his mouth, tongues dancing to their own rhythm. Sasuke's legs released their hold around Naruto and he slowly set them down on the bed, Naruto still in between them. Naruto maneuvered himself directly on top of Sasuke, their growing erections rubbing against each other, making both men groan simultaneously. Pale hands ran down Naruto's back, stopping at his tan ass to squeeze the globes playfully.

"Do you always get turned on by getting away with things?" Grinning into the kiss, Naruto moved one of his hands from Sasuke's waist to their abdomens. He gripped both Sasuke's and his own erections, creating more friction, more pleasure.

"Mnn." Sasuke moaned out, breaking the kiss to tilt his head back, which Naruto took full advantage of. Attaching his lips to Sasuke's neck, he created several more hickeys to the already half covered in hickeys already.

"You sure you wanna do it again, Sasuke?" Naruto asked quietly, his lips moving against Sasuke's neck. "I don't want to tire you out, you have a mission tomorrow right?" Sasuke shifted, trying to create more friction between him and his lover.

"It's a fucking D mission, Naruto, I'm replanting grass in a training field. I don't need to be awake for that." Sasuke muttered and ground his hips upwards, pushing himself against his lover.

"Well in that case," Naruto grinned and released their hardening erections and pushed himself upwards. His hand reaching for the tube of lube he had set down earlier that night on the windowsill. "I'll be sure to make sure it's extra pleasurable." The Uchiha rolled his eyes but didn't say anything in response to the blonde. Sasuke watched as Naruto uncapped it and poured a small amount into his open palm. Capping the lube, he set it back down on the windowsill; then spread the lube onto three of his fingers. Spreading the rest of the lube onto his length, Naruto shuffled himself backwards, on his knees. Sasuke spread his legs farther, giving Naruto enough space to position a finger at said Uchiha's entrance.

"Dobe, don't make me hurt you." Sasuke growled when Naruto hesitated. Said blonde grinned, then gently pushed his middle finger in first, it took three seconds to find Sasuke's prostrate. When Naruto did, he pressed against it gently, then prodded it, harder. "More." Sasuke stated with a heavy sigh. The sensation of the finger inside of him eliciting a barrage of pleasure spikes running up his spine. Naruto bit his lip so as not to make a remark that would earn him a punch to the face and instead gripped the Uchiha's fully erect cock and fisted it once.

Following his lover's order, Naruto slipped his pointer finger next to his middle finger, pumping it a few times before making a scissoring motion. Sasuke shifted, inhaling a little deeper than before. Taking that as a sign to go further Naruto pushed his ring finger inside with the other two, pumping them just so he could hear Sasuke moan. The blonde watched as Sasuke writhed and vocalized his pleasure.

"Naruto." Sasuke called out, squeezing his eyes shut and gripping the sheets beneath him, raising his hips upwards to meet both of Naruto's fingers and fist. "Put it in me." The Uchiha demanded.

At first Naruto looked down at his lover, debating about listening to his lover and ended up deciding to. He pulled his fingers out and released his lover's length with one final pump upwards. He shuffled himself forward on his knees, positioning his cock at Sasuke's entrance. Carefully, Naruto pushed himself inside his lover, easing the head of his length through the tight ring of muscles. Sasuke gave a sharp gasp and opened his eyes, looking down at his lover who was gripping his thigh tightly, stopping himself from thrusting the rest of himself inside. After a few seconds, Sasuke couldn't take it anymore, he lifted his head up and jerked his leg to the side, hitting Naruto's ribcage hard enough to get the blonde's attention.

"I'm not going to break Dobe, fuck me." Sasuke glared at the shadowy figure of his lover above him. Naruto hesitated a second more before releasing his grip on Sasuke's thigh and thrust himself completely inside of his lover. "Ahh-yes!" Sasuke cried out in pleasure, his body jerking at the rough movement. The pain melding with pleasure until Sasuke couldn't tell which was which. Naruto picked a rough and fast pace, pounding into his lover with enough force to push Sasuke farther and farther up the bed. Soon, Sasuke's head was banging against the headboard of their bed. After a few times of his head hitting the headboard, Sasuke got annoyed and moved to sit up, putting his weight on his elbows.

"Dobe, stop for a minute." Sasuke growled, Naruto stopped and watched as Sasuke attempted to turn around with the blondes erection still inside. Halfway turned around Naruto just pulled out, not liking the feeling of being twisted inside his lover. Glaring at the blonde, Sasuke got on his hands and knees, sticking his ass in the air and wiggling it in front of Naruto face. Raising his eyebrows at the challenge, Naruto gripped Sasuke's ass cheeks and repositioned his cock as the Uchiha's entrance. He pushed himself inside again, grinning as that tight heat encased him.

"Fuck, Teme, you're so damn tight. Will you ever loosen up?" Naruto moaned as he thrust into his lover, picking his previous pace right back up. Sasuke just lowered his head and grunted, rocking on his elbows with each thrust. Grinning at his lover's ability to voice his pleasure, Naruto leaned down and gripped Sasuke erection, pumping it roughly until Sasuke moaned. Naruto continued to thrust into his lover, pumping him in synch with each thrust until Sasuke was screaming out in pleasure.

"Ahh-nyah!" Sasuke cried out. He lifted his head and Naruto could bet his next mission's savings on that Sasuke had his eyes squeezed tightly closed. Sasuke collapsed his lower body, arms sprawled out in all directions and his head tilted to one side. The eye that Naruto could see was squeezed tightly, his mouth open in short heavy pants. Feeling himself getting closer to coming, Naruto released Sasuke's cock and pulled the Uchiha up by his armpits, holding the dark haired man to his chest before releasing one of them, using his free hand to hold both of them up.

"Na-Naruto I'm g-gonna cum!" Sasuke cried out, he put one hand down on the bed and the other grasping at the tan hand that held him up.

"Yeah, me, too." Naruto responded in time with each thrust, he slowed himself down and thrust harder, making each movement count. He grunted as he held back his oncoming orgasm for just a few seconds more so he could bite down on Sasuke's left shoulder, making Sasuke scream.

"Naruto!" Sasuke cried out, the muscles around Naruto's length tightened and pushed the blonde over the edge. Both men came.

* * *

**May 14th, the first week**

Sasuke collapsed back onto the bed, breathing heavily. Naruto pulled his flaccid cock out and then fell on top of his lover, eyes closed in bliss.

"Fuck, that was great." Naruto breathily whispered, Sasuke just 'hn'ed in response, breathing heavily as he came down from cloud nine. "Oh, by the way, Teme, I'm home." Sasuke opened his eyes to roll them.

"Welcome home, Dobe." Sasuke muttered and closed his again, basking in the after effects of their sex. His blonde had just come back from an overnight mission, surprising Sasuke who had slept in to recover from the day the blonde had left.

After a few minutes Naruto rolled off his lover, pulled his head up and rested it on his elbow. "So what are we going to do, Sasuke? It looks like the eggs didn't fertilize." Sasuke sighed and shifted onto his side, turning to face the blonde.

"We still have a few days Naruto, besides, let me worry about the eggs. I can always get more at the hospital." Sasuke muttered, he watched as Naruto brought his other arm up to rub Sasuke's shoulder gently.

"But what if they catch you? They weren't paying a lot of attention the first time around but now they'll notice even the tiniest thing you do out of the ordinary." Naruto watched as Sasuke rolled his eyes and then brought his hand up to Sasuke's face, he held the Uchiha's chin and leaned forward for a kiss. Sasuke accepted the kiss and closed his eyes, gently kissing Naruto back. When Naruto pulled away, Sasuke blinked slowly, calmly taking in the blonde's slightly worried expression.

"I just don't want to lose you Sasuke, a baby isn't worth having you taken away from me." Naruto mumbled and stroked Sasuke's cheek lovingly. Sighing, Sasuke raised his hand to hold Naruto's, he pulled it off his cheek and held it to his chest.

"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke stated. "I'm not a genin who's going to get caught." Naruto blinked then chuckled, he turned his hand around to grasp Sasuke's, holding it tightly. Sasuke looked down to their hands and then down to where their feet were entangled. Clean pale legs wrapped around tan dirty legs, smudges of dirt all over those long limbs "Now go get a shower, you're still dirty from your mission." Sasuke grunted and shifted on the bed, turning away from the blonde. Naruto gripped Sasuke's hand tightly as Sasuke shifted, Naruto felt the Uchiha tighten his grip as well before pulling his hand out of the embrace.

"Teme, your such an asshole." Naruto muttered as he climbed over the Uchiha, kissing him on the lips once more before heading for the bathroom to the shower. Sasuke watched the blonde ninja go, admiring his tight, naturally tan ass. As soon as Naruto stepped out of sight, Sasuke shifted again, turning around so he could lie on his right side and doze off. When Naruto would come back, he would see him naked and hopefully jump his pale ass again, he was in the mood to be frisky before his meeting with the Hokage.

Sighing, Sasuke heard the shower turn on, then his blonde's voice singing some random tune that happened to be stuck in his head. Unable to keep himself from shifting one last time, Sasuke relaxed and drifted off, the warm tingling feeling on his shoulder chalked up to the fact Naruto had bit it earlier. Subconsciously, Sasuke heard the shower turning off and could tell when Naruto stopped singing. He heard the blonde walk out of the bathroom but was too content in his half-asleep state to turn around and watch Naruto come back towards the bed. All of sudden, he heard Naruto's feet pounding against the wooden floors and Sasuke was being thrown onto his back. Opening his eyes, Sasuke came face to face with Naruto who was grinning like a mad man. Blinking once, then twice, Sasuke glared at the Dobe for interrupting his nap so rudely.

"What the hell, Dobe?" Sasuke asked, Naruto's grin just got wider and his hand reached towards Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke rolled his shoulder to move the blonde's wet hand but Naruto quickly replaced it, annoying the Uchiha. Naruto didn't care that he was still dripping wet, he leaned down and kissed his lover roughly, pulling back only because the pissed off male below him had bit him. Sasuke just continued to glare at Naruto since the blonde practically refused to answer Sasuke's question.

"Ow, Teme, that hurt." Naruto his tongue briefly made an appearance through those lips, checking the damage that Sasuke had done. Sasuke just scoffed.

"It's not bleeding, Dobe, now tell me why you're excited?"

"The seal." Naruto whispered excitedly, Sasuke took a moment to look at what Naruto was talking about. Naruto's hand trailed downwards as he leaned down and kissed the Uchiha on the cheeks, then moving upwards to nibble on his ear. Sasuke could see the seal on his shoulder; it's black ink standing out against his pale skin. It took a moment for the information to sink in and what it meant now that the seal had activated.

"Dobe, don't tell me your activating the seal right now." Sasuke whispered, Naruto grinned against the side of Sasuke's face.

"You would kill me if I was." Naruto answered, he kissed Sasuke's cheek again and brought his hand up to cup Sasuke's chin and move it so Sasuke was looking back up at the blonde. "So if what you told me was right, you're pregnant, huh, Sasuke?" Naruto's grin was in full force and it was infectious, Sasuke couldn't help but smile back, truly happy.

"The egg was fertilized and it attached to the chakra uterus," Sasuke said softly. "Naruto, I'm pregnant." Naruto leaned down and kissed his newly pregnant lover. The kiss started chaste but Sasuke was so happy he deepened the kiss, running his tongue over Naruto's abused lower lip. Naruto let Sasuke's tongue inside his own mouth, the excited muscle wriggling around canines and molars. Naruto pushed his own tongue against Sasuke's, fighting him for dominance. The Uchiha quickly receded into his own mouth and Naruto followed, he sucked on Sasuke's lower lip before sucking on the top lip. A moan escaped Sasuke's mouth as Naruto plundered the Uchiha's orifice. Tan hands travelled down Sasuke's body, coming to rest at the Uchiha's pale abdomen.

"Mmm," Naruto moaned. He broke the kiss and continued to grin like a fool, and Sasuke was too giddy to stop himself from smiling wide. "Finding out your pregnant kind of makes me want to screw you again." Sasuke chuckled and wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck, pulling him closer.

"To bad, Dobe, you took too long in the shower and I have a meeting with the Hokage soon. You'll just have to wait for tonight." Sasuke kissed his Dobe on the cheek and pushed the blonde off him. Naruto let Sasuke go, watching his happy lover strut towards the bathroom for a shower.

"We're going to have to celebrate you know!" Naruto called after his Uchiha, grinning like a madman. "Ichiraku's tonight." The blonde said to himself.

"Like hell I'm going to eat ramen, Dobe." Sasuke called from the bathroom, the shower turned on and Sasuke busied himself with getting rid of the smell of love making from his very loved body.

* * *

Sasuke had to pry himself from Naruto's overbearingly loving grip. From the moment the Uchiha stepped out of the shower he was either in Naruto's arms or trying to get out of them. "Sasuke! I should come with you!" Naruto called out as Sasuke stepped out of the apartment, that blonde trying to hold the door open. Sasuke pushed Naruto back and glared at him.

"No, Dobe," Sasuke growled. "Stop acting clingy right now or you're sleeping on the couch." Naruto immediately deflated, bright blue eyes softening until tears were growing in the corners of his eyes.

"But, Sasuke!" The blonde whined, he reached for the door again but Sasuke stepped back inside pointing a finger at the teary eyed blonde.

"No one can know, Dobe, you acting like this is going to be a dead giveaway." Sasuke hissed, he gave Naruto one more look as the blonde sighed and let the teary eyed look drop. "No more, got it?"

"Got it." Naruto glumly muttered, Sasuke rolled his eyes and raised his hand to grip the collar of Naruto's shirt. He leaned upwards and kissed the blonde on the lips, Naruto reacted immediately. Opening the door wider so he could pull Sasuke closer to him, one of his arms resting over the Uchiha's clothed seal. Sasuke had changed into a short sleeve, skin-tight, turtle necked blue shirt and black shorts, the weather was too nice to wear a long sleeved shirt but Sasuke wasn't going to show off his new seal for all to see. Naruto tried to deepen the kiss but Sasuke pushed against the blonde's bare chest and broke the kiss. Said blonde licked his lips happily and leaned down for one last chaste kiss.

"I love you." Naruto whispered softly, squeezing Sasuke's shoulder gently. Sasuke nodded and rolled his eyes. Sasuke stepped out of Naruto's grip and out of the doorway, his hair blowing to the side in the breeze.

"I'll be back later, Dobe." Sasuke turned around and started walking down the hallways of apartments, heading toward the Hokage tower. The door didn't shut for as long as Sasuke was in hearing distance and Sasuke could feel Naruto's eyes on him up until he jumped off the railing and onto the nearby rooftops.

The air was fresh, a breeze blowing against Sasuke's face as he headed towards the Hokage tower at a slow pace, it was just starting to be the middle of May and the cold weather was beginning to fade into something a little more warmer. The blonde's sudden change in attitude could only be explained as reaction to the baby, the sudden clinginess of being a parent more annoying than the regular Dobe. Sasuke had been expecting something like this to happen but didn't think it would happen so quickly.

They were eighteen, maybe it was because they were so young that this was affecting them so much already. Then again, it could be what every loving couple would feel when they found out trying to get pregnant actually worked. Either way, the blonde needed to act normal, no one needed to know that Sasuke and him were having a baby. Taking a few moments to enjoy the weather Sasuke made his way up to the entrance of the tower, he reluctantly walked through the door that led to the inner workings of the tower, where the air conditioning would only buzz annoyingly. Not that anyone would be able to tell by the always-stoic look on his face.

Picking up the pace, Sasuke made his way to the Hokage's office, briskly walking past several jonin and chuunin with paperwork in their hands. When the Hokage's office door was in sight, a blur moved right in front of it, an anbu standing in front of the door with their arms crossed over their chest. A bear mask hiding the person's face. Sasuke stopped in front of the anbu, patiently waiting for the male to disappear up into the ceiling again or step aside. The anbu nodded to Sasuke and stepped aside as the door opened from the inside. Kakashi stepped through the doorway, staring straight at the Uchiha. Sasuke interpreted the look as mildly happy; he could just barely make out the upward curvature of his smile beneath his mask. Said ninja nodded to Sasuke and walked past, patting Sasuke's left shoulder gently.

Sasuke's first instinct was to go tense, fearing that Kakashi could somehow feel the seal beneath his shirt. He resisted though, watching his mentor walk by. The second instinct was to wonder why the Jonin was smiling; he didn't have time to figure it out before turning his eyes back to the Hokage's office. Tsunade was busy shuffling some papers, making it look like she had done some work before opening one of the drawers of her desk and pulled out a bottle of sake and a cup. The anbu next to Sasuke disappeared back into the ceiling, watching from above. Stepping inside, Sasuke closed the door behind him, Tsunade said nothing as she poured a cup and downed it in one go. Stepping to the middle of the room, Sasuke watched as Tsunade poured herself a second cup. She still refused to acknowledge Sasuke's presence and he was fine with that, he knew the older woman was still pissed off at him from a little over a week ago. The bottle of sake hadn't really helped, yet.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Tsunade said after she downed the second cup full, she poured herself a third and sipped it carefully. "You have good taste in alcohol." Tsunade looked up at the Uchiha then downed the rest of the third cup.

"Thought you might enjoy it." Sasuke said, nodding his head towards the Hokage. Tsunade started to pour the fourth drink and set the bottle down, she set her elbows on the desk and folded her fingers together so she could rest her chin on them.

"You were asked here so I could get several things cleared up for the sake of paperwork." Tsunade growled. Sasuke nodded his head again in understanding; he shifted his stance, stuffing his hands in his pockets. It would be easy to fend off a drunken Hokage but he would still have to be careful with the anbu that hid in the ceiling. They constantly watched the Hokage's every interaction with every person she talked to. "Alright, you created the seal and convinced Naruto to activate it so you could get rid of the curse mark on your shoulder, correct?" Tsunade asked, golden brown eyes glaring at him with intensity.

"He knew what would happen if he activated the barrier, I didn't convince him. He chose." Sasuke refuted. Tsunade's eyes narrowed but she didn't contradict him.

"Fine, are you aware that other than that one issue you have done nothing wrong, a perfect record, since you've returned?" Tsunade asked, her expression didn't change and Sasuke found it hard to figure out what she was thinking.

"I am now." Sasuke truthfully answered, he honestly hadn't paid attention in a long time. He just did his job and got home to his Dobe quickly, Naruto had said he had been perfect but the blonde hadn't been watching him every minute of the day. The Hokage closed her eyes and sighed heavily, leaning back into her chair and grabbed the cup of sake before sipping it slowly.

"Well then it is my duty to inform you that you are being taken off probation for several reasons." She set the cup down and crossed her arms over her large chest, swaying her chair back and forth. "First, you have been on probation for the length of time we set, second, your only infraction was stopping the anbu from watching you which would have been considered a break in the contract except for the fact Naruto was the one who put up the barrier." Tsunade downed the rest of the fourth cup before continuing.

"Third, the Chuunin exams are coming up in less than two months and Kakashi feels that allowing you to participate in it will not only be healthy for you but for the village as well. I have to agree," Tsunade reached for the bottle of sake but stopped when her hand grasped the neck of the bottle. "Having you on higher ranking missions will prove to certain figures here that it was worth keeping you here and alive." The words had no venom behind them and Sasuke knew whom the Hokage was talking about.

"So against the Elders wishes you're taking me off probation," Sasuke stated, watching Tsunade nod and slowly pour herself a fifth cup of sake. "And you do know it's not even two in the afternoon." Tsunade set the bottle down and glared at Sasuke, daring him to say anything more.

"I'm done dealing with paperwork and preparing for something that isn't happening for two months, anbu won't be following you anymore. Now get out of my office and go train or fuck the brat or something." Tsunade looked down at the bottle of sake, not paying Sasuke any more attention and let him find his own way out. Sasuke nodded to the Hokage before turning around and walk out of the office, stoic expression still stuck on his face as he walked through the hallway back outside where the wind blew into his face, his expression softening at the feeling of warm weather. The thought of no longer being on probation gave Sasuke enough reason to smirk but the other part of news gave him reason to be seriously concerned. In two months he would be partaking in the Chuunin exams, he'd be that many weeks pregnant.

* * *

Naruto had been impatiently waiting for Sasuke's return for ten minutes now, after the Uchiha had left. It couldn't take much longer for the old hag to finish speaking to his lover and for him to return. Trying to stop himself from thinking about his newly pregnant lover, Naruto attempted to clean the apartment.

The bed was stripped and the sheets hidden in the washer, just sitting there. Naruto didn't know where Sasuke hid the washing detergent. He had picked up his clothes and thrown them into the closet, then took them out and re-stuffed them. The blonde had even attempted to wash the dishes but soon gave up when the dishwasher was empty and the sink clean. With nothing to do, Naruto opted to walk around the apartment anxiously, waiting for Sasuke's return. He tried sitting down and looking at some scrolls but his mind was occupied by thoughts of Sasuke.

They had done it, Sasuke was pregnant. The fact seemed impossible; it made Naruto so happy he didn't know what to do with himself. At one point he wanted to tell everyone in the whole village and the next he wanted to Sasuke home with him, in bed where he could feel that flat abdomen for days until it grew round and full of a growing these emotions and he was just sitting there on the couch in their apartment, waiting for Sasuke to get back. He didn't know what to do. It felt like he should be doing something, being active, buying baby things or a crib or something. Naruto was just so happy and excited. The front door opened and Naruto's head spun to look at the new comer. Sasuke stood in the entryway, taking off his shoes and heading for Naruto, the stoic expression the Uchiha normally had on his face evident.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. He leaped from the couch onto Sasuke, surprising the other male as the fell backwards onto the wooden floor with a loud 'fwump'. Naruto saw Sasuke wince as his head hit the wooden floor. Immediately Naruto went into freaked out mode, scared he had hurt his lover.

"Oh shit!" Naruto cried out. Sasuke blinked and stared at the blonde with a confused expression on his face.

"What, Dobe?" Sasuke asked. Naruto brought his hands to Sasuke's face and held it carefully

"I didn't hurt the baby did I?" Sasuke looked at him incredulously.

"Naruto you're an idiot." The blonde stared dumbfounded for a moment and the expression made Sasuke want to laugh; he smiled and watched as Naruto quickly realized he had done something stupid and frowned. "Now get off me, I've got something to tell you." Naruto got up off the Uchiha reluctantly, holding his hand out for Sasuke to take, which he did gratefully. Once Sasuke was on his feet, he squeezed Naruto's hand and pulled him farther into the apartment. They stopped at the bed and Sasuke pulled the blonde to sit on the mattress, giving him a look of confusion as to why the sheets were missing. Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Um, I guess I went a little stir crazy and thought I could do some chores." Naruto muttered and Sasuke just shook his head.

"So the Hokage wanted to talk to me today about my probation." Sasuke started, this immediately got Naruto's attention, he stared enraptured at Sasuke, waiting for the Uchiha to tell him more. "She's taking me off of it, I can take C rank missions now."

Naruto immediately smiled and leaned over to kiss the Uchiha but Sasuke stopped him, he brought his hand up to the blonde's tan shoulder. "Sasuke that's great! We really need to celebrate now." Naruto grinned; Sasuke nodded but didn't smile along with Naruto, which meant to the blonde that there was more.

"She wants me to participate in the Chuunin exams, the one coming up in the next two months." Sasuke motioned to his stomach. "I'll be almost seven weeks pregnant Dobe, I'll just have gotten to the middle of the first trimester and I might have a baby bump starting to show." Sasuke stopped, thinking for a moment before continuing. "I want to know what you want to do."

"What do you mean Sasuke?" Naruto asked, he grabbed Sasuke's hand off of his shoulder and held it between his own hands.

"Should I take the Chuunin exams or should I not? It would be dangerous, risking the baby's life. We'd also be risking people finding out about it, but I might not have a chance to take it again. Once the baby is born, I'll have to go on maternity leave to take care of it, it could be, two, three years before I'd be able to take the exams again." Sasuke stopped; he looked away from the blonde. "I don't want to make any decisions without you, Dobe, this is your baby too." Naruto nodded and leaned against the wall, dragging Sasuke to lie on top of him, the Uchiha's head on his tan chest. He wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulder and relaxed, thinking about the news.

"So," Naruto said after a few moments of silence. "If you don't take the exam you'll be a genin for maybe another three years and if you do it could get out that you're pregnant or even worse we could lose the baby if you die?" Naruto asked, Sasuke snorted and pulled Naruto's hand to his chest.

"I'm not going to die, Dobe." Sasuke muttered, clenching his hand around Naruto's.

"Then you won't let the baby get hurt, I'm not worried about you taking the next Chuunin exam, you should do it, Teme." Naruto whispered as he toyed with Sasuke's fingers slowly. Sasuke thought about it for a moment longer as the blonde's other hand found a resting spot on Sasuke's abdomen rubbing it soothingly.

"Then it's decided, I'm taking the Chuunin exam in two months, baby bump and all." Sasuke sighed and lifted his head upwards, looking at the blonde. "So where are we going to dinner to celebrate?" Naruto grinned and looked down at his lover, rubbing his lover's abdomen lovingly.

"Ichiraku's?" Naruto asked, Sasuke smirked and pulled Naruto's finger backwards roughly. "Ow, ow, ow! I was joking, Teme, joking!" Naruto tried to pull his hand away but Sasuke had it in a tight grip.

"Where are you taking me for dinner, Dobe?" Sasuke asked again, Naruto tried to pull his finger out of Sasuke's grasp but Sasuke pulled it farther back, making the blonde yelp.

"Barbeque! Choji's favorite barbeque!" Naruto cried out, Sasuke let the finger go and watched his blonde attend to his overstretched finger.

"Good boy." Sasuke stated and got off the bed.

"You're mean, Teme," Naruto pouted, he moved off the bed as well, still rubbing his fingers. "And you can't blame it on the baby, I know it's too early for that." Naruto gave the Uchiha a look while Sasuke just continued to smirk. Naruto pulled Sasuke into a hug, arms wrapping around the Uchiha's waist.

"No I've always been like this Dobe, but it's too late now though. You're stuck with me, baby and all." Sasuke said, he looked up to Naruto's smiling face and accepted the kiss Naruto leaned down to give. When Naruto broke the kiss he held on to his lover tighter.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Teme."


	3. New Tricks & Old Dogs

**May 22nd, the second week**

"Naruto." Sasuke poked his lover in the head, pushing it to lie in the other side. Said blonde didn't stir, mouth open and body twisted up in sheets. Watching Naruto sleep, he slid his finger down the others naked chest, running over the defined muscles softly. Naruto shifted, head turning back to its previous position. With a smile on his lips; he slowly pulled the sheets out of the tangled mess the blonde lay in, leaving only the blonde covering a majority of the bed.

Slowly, Sasuke carefully stepped onto the bed and over the blonde. Once he was in position, he slipped his hand in those blonde locks of hair. The sleeping man stilled, he was still fast asleep but his subconscious mind switched into sharing-the-bed mode. Sasuke could not thank the blonde enough for having that inherent ability. Lying next to the blonde for a few moments, Sasuke took the time to relax, he had been up for an hour already, taking laundry out and hanging it up on clothing lines he put up around the apartment.

Now, he wanted to get Naruto up and make him go out to do chores while Sasuke got his mission done for the day done. He didn't need the Dobe trying to decide to do the laundry and 'accidentally' ruin all of his boxers. The blonde had a small fetish for making Sasuke wear his grotesquely orange boxers. It was cute at first, but now it just made Naruto want to jump him every free moment they got and Sasuke found it ruining his daily routine. Carefully, Sasuke untangled his hand from Naruto's hair and placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. Then, in one swift move, he pushed the blonde out of the bed and onto the floor. He didn't hear Naruto wake up until he was already halfway to the floor.

"Wu-ah!" Naruto cried out, his arms flailing around until he collapsed onto the wooden floor. Smirking, Sasuke slid off the bed, stepping over Naruto again, he made his way to the kitchen where he had already made a list of things the blonde would need to get. "Ow." Naruto sat up; rubbing the elbow he had landed on. The blonde yawned and stood up, raising his arms above his head to stretch, an audible pop coming from his back.

"You slept in." Sasuke stated as he came back to the bed, a sticky note in hand. Naruto grinned like a cat and when Sasuke was close enough Naruto lowered his arms around the Uchiha and pulled him close.

"That's because I was tired." Naruto kissed Sasuke's forehead and held him close.

"You're not getting any today Dobe, it's cleaning day." Sasuke pulled out of the blondes grip, he stuck the sticky note on Naruto's forehead and disappeared behind a line of black shirts hanging up to dry. "Besides, I have to go unweed a training field."

"They still have you doing D missions? I'd have thought by now you'd be doing at least C missions." Naruto muttered. Going cross-eyed to look at the sticky note attached to his head, Naruto reached up and peeled it off his skin and took a look at what was written on it. As Naruto looked over the list Sasuke had written, not really reading it, said male was heading back into the kitchen to make lunch.

"All of them are going to the genin, getting them prepped for the Chuunin exams." Sasuke muttered, there was no venom in his voice but Naruto could feel the annoyance rippling off of the Uchiha's nerves. Then he focused on the list, reading the items on it.

"You want me to pick up medicine?" Naruto asked; he looked up to find only lines and lines of laundry. "Sasuke?" He called out, then, took a long interested look in the line of Sasuke's boxers.

"In the kitchen, now stop eyeing my boxers, Usuratonkachi. You even think of doing something to them to make me wear your boxers, I will not only throw out your ramen, I'll make you sleep on the couch for a month and there will be no sex until after the baby is born." Immediately, Naruto backed away from his lover's undergarments, eyeing them one last time before finding his way through the maze of lines into the kitchen.

"So, medicine?" Naruto asked as he entered the kitchen, he held up the sticky note and then looked at the list again. Sasuke turned to open a cabinet drawer, pulled out a loaf of bread in it's plastic container and set it down on the table before moving to the refrigerator. "Prenatal pills, though?" Naruto asked. "They're to help give the baby essential things for growth, nutrition or vitamins or whatever, right?"

"Yes, but there is one important thing you need to know about getting the prenatal pills." Sasuke stuck his head in, bending down to get out fresh tomatoes, fresh ham, and a packet of cheese.

"What's that?" Naruto asked. Sasuke straightened, placed all the items next to the bread and shut the refrigerator door. Turning around, Sasuke came up to Naruto, raised his hand to tilt Naruto's head down and he would never admit to this but he stood on his toes a little more until his heels were lifting up off the floor. As he did this, he whispered something into his taller lover's ear. At first, Naruto listened and when Sasuke finished and stepped away the blonde frowned and shook his head in disbelief.

"I can't do that! It's practically stealing!" Naruto incredulously stared at his lover who looked back with a knowing look.

"You aren't going to steal it, Dobe, just switch pain killers for them." Sasuke leaned against the counter but kept his eyes trained on the blonde. "What are you, scared?" Sasuke asked.

Frowning, Naruto sighed heavily and looked away from Sasuke, looking at the floor. "Like hell I'm scared, Teme," He looked back at the dark haired male, azure eyes narrowed in a serious expression. "I'll only do it because it's for you, but I am paying him for them." Sasuke nodded his head then turned around, he opened another drawer and pulled out a knife, setting it next to the bread.

"Fine by me," Sasuke told the blonde; he looked over his shoulder a smile. "I wouldn't expect any less from my Dobe." This got Naruto to smile, the serious look disappearing straight away.

"Mm, I love it when you call me yours Sasuke, it makes me a little hot and bothered." Naruto suggestively said, that perverted gleam in his eyes. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist, nuzzling black hair affectionately.

"I told you no, Usuratonkachi, now get going, lunch will be in the fridge when you get back." Naruto didn't let go, continuing to nuzzle Sasuke's hair. Rolling his eyes Sasuke picked up the knife and brandished it, it's metallic surface shone in the sunlight and with deathly precision he swung the blade down upon the innocent tomato in front of him, slicing it in half as it thudded loudly against the cutting board.

This got Naruto to let go of Sasuke and he backed away, it was better to not test his boyfriend. "Right, right, I'll be going now." Naruto smiled nervously and turned around, sticky note still in his hands.

"Wait," Sasuke called out quickly. Naruto looked back. "Did you memorize the list?" Naruto nodded and held it up for Sasuke to see. Instead of going back to cutting up the tomato, Sasuke lifted his free hand and held it up to his mouth, using his pointer finger and thumb to made a circle. Before Naruto could react, Sasuke had sent a small ball of fire aimed directly at Naruto's hand holding the paper. Said sticky note burst into flames and Naruto dropped the flaming paper in surprise.

"Ah! Hey, Teme! That could have burned my fingers off!" Naruto cried out. He watched as the flaming paper swirled to the ground, the only remaining bits a charred, shriveled heap of scrap when it landed on the floor.

"I didn't so don't worry about it, Dobe, I'll clean it up when you're out shopping. We can't have anyone finding out about the pregnancy." Sasuke causally replied, he turned back to the kitchen counter and continued to slice his tomato with loud chops.

"Yeah, you're right." Knowing that the conversation had come to an end Naruto came up behind Sasuke again; put his hands on pregnant lover's shoulders and kissed Sasuke on the cheek.

"I love you Sasuke." Naruto whispered. "I love your bastard-like attitude, your fucking sexy body, your equally fucking sexy personality, I even love the way you kick me out of bed when I oversleep." Naruto kissed Sasuke's cheek again. "I'll love you forever, even when you're huge right here," Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist so his hands rested on the Uchiha's abdomen.

"So big and round, heavily pregnant with our child. I'll love you even when you say you look like a whale and I'll lie and tell you that you don't." With that, Naruto quickly escaped out of the apartment, just barely missing being stabbed in the head. The knife dug into the wall behind where Naruto's head would have been, a deepening blush spreading across Sasuke's normally pale face. Naruto grinning like a madman as he ran behind a bed sheet, he saw the expression his lover was sporting.

"Naruto!" Sasuke screamed angrily. Naruto didn't respond as he reached the front door, opened it and ran outside, slamming it shut behind him.

* * *

Nervous, terrified, scared shitless. Those were more than able to describe how Naruto was feeling at this exact moment. The joy of messing with Sasuke had worn off moments after he had left the apartment.

He was on his way to one of the ninja supply stores in Konoha that carried prenatal pills. His nervousness coursed through his veins and his only attempt to fix it was by avoiding the streets, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. This way of travelling split the time to get there in half. He arrived at the destination quickly, one side of him dreading at what he was going to attempt, the other glad he could just get this over with and go on with his life. When Naruto first entered the store, the store clerk gave him a glare, he had never seen the man before but still those beady black eyes had watched his every movement. The store clerk was well into his sixties, wrinkles heavily set in his face. White hair sprung up from the man's scalp, the receding hairline making the man seem half bald. Those small black eyes magnified by oversized horn rimmed glasses.

The store was small and old, paint on the walls were pealing behind the four rows of shelved items, there was a hairline crack on the ceiling and bright fluorescent lights that gave the store an eerie glow compared to the window in the front of the store, it was a bright cloudless afternoon out there. Things were left out in the open simply because the only people who came to this store were ninja and were allowed to buy anything they needed, nothing in the stores that were for sale were addictive or hazardous to a ninja's life. It was also the bond of trust between storeowner and ninja to have everything out in the open but that didn't mean the old man trusted customers.

Gulping quietly, Naruto smiled and waved at the man, trying not to look conspicuous. He went straight into the first aisle, in search for several items. There was some shuffling at the desk where the old man was seated, Naruto cautiously slowed his pace and turned his head, wondering if the man had gotten up to watch him. The shuffling stopped and the white haired man hadn't appeared. Naruto exhaled quietly, eyes flickering to what he was pretending to look at. Bottles of pain medication, there were dozens, all labeled with different active ingredients, the dosage of those ingredients.

His eyes moved lower and he came upon his prize, prenatal pills. Thinking quickly, Naruto scanned the lower shelf, looking for words that corresponded with what Sasuke had made him memorize. After a few seconds, he found the bottles and picked them up quietly, he silently mouthed the words in his head and smiled, he had found the right pills. Quickly making a hand signal and whispering a word, Naruto proudly held the bottles in his hands and finished walking down the rest of the aisle.

Coming to a corner, he looked around for other things Sasuke had asked him to pick up. He swiped some gauze from the back shelf, medical tape in the middle row and finally he went down the last aisle and swiped some healing ointment that he knew Sasuke liked. All the while, the old man was indiscreetly watching him as he pretended to be reading the newspaper. When Naruto walked up to the counter, the old man hurriedly put down his paper, the shuffling sound making another appearance as the blonde set down his purchases for checkout.

"Will that be all, sir?" The old man asked, his deep voice low and gravely, he sounded like an old man.

"Yeah," Naruto muttered. he pulled out his frog wallet from his pocket and opened it, change jangling at the movement. The old man eyed the frog wallet for a second, probably wondering what a teenage ninja would be doing with such a childish wallet but he didn't comment. Watching as the old man glanced over the items, he typed something into the old cash register and it clanged open with a ring of a bell. The man told Naruto the total price and watched as the blonde extracted crumpled paper bills from the chaos of coins. After handing the man his money Naruto proceeded to grab a bag from the counter and opened it, slipping the items inside quickly.

"Here's your change." The old man muttered, holding the five hundred yen and closing the cash register with a metallic clang. Naruto looked up in surprise at the man, folding the top of the bag closed as he did so.

"Oh, you can keep the change." Naruto briefly muttered, nodded to the man and quickly made his way out of the store. Before the old man could reply the blonde was out of sight, having run into the street.

"Hey! Come back here and return the things you stole! Damn kid." The old man first yelled then muttered. Annoyed, the old man got off his stool and walked over to the first aisle to assess what the boy had stolen. By the man's reckoning the kid had spent too much time there and could have had time to slip something into his pockets. He grumbled to himself about his naiveté about the younger generation but as he looked up and down the aisles he realized two things. First, he had just re-stacked the shelves after his lunch break and the blonde had been his only customer since then and secondly, two prenatal pill bottles were missing instead of two pain medicine bottles. The prenatal pills were two hundred yen more than the pain medicine.

"I'm getting to old for this," The old man returned to his desk, taking his glasses off to clean them with the hem of his shirt. "My eyesight isn't what it used to be." The old man completely disregarded the fact that a young man had bought prenatal pills and focused more on why he was thinking about retiring.

* * *

Once Naruto was two blocks away from the shop, he relaxed, the brown bag was securely under his arm. With a sigh of relief the blonde slowed his pace to a leisurely walk. The streets he walked on were full of bustling people, all doing their own thing and spending the beautiful afternoon in their own ways. The summer heat had not yet set in and kids were breaking a sweat in their rambunctious play. Several kids had run past Naruto, screaming out to their friends or giggling hysterically. Watching them made Naruto smile, they made him think about Sasuke who was _pregnant_. That fact itself was enough to make the blonde grin like crazy, his lover had figured out a way to get pregnant so they could have a baby.

The fact still left Naruto too happy to even breathe sometimes. Continuing on his way home, Naruto avoided gossiping women, boisterous kids who ran circles around people, several trying to trip Naruto childishly. Too busy watching out for the kids and throngs of people, Naruto didn't see a pink haired girl who saw said blonde immediately and made a beeline for him. Unbeknownst to Naruto, he was walking straight towards her, she waved at him but he didn't notice, smiling to himself. Just as Naruto was about to pass her Sakura grabbed at his free arm and stopped the blonde from walked away. Caught off guard, Naruto turned to look at who grabbed his arm and his whole face lit up in excitement.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out, still happy to have caught the blonde. "The public notification was sent out this morning about Sasuke's reinstatement, wanna get Ichiraku's in celebration?" The pinkette grinned and pointed in the direction said ramen shop stood. Sheepishly Naruto grinned back, showing Sakura the brown bag.

"Nah, Sasuke asked me to get some medical supplies we were running low on. He's back at home making lunch. Maybe we can meet up tonight or something," Sakura looked at the bag then back up at Naruto.

"Sasuke trusted you enough to buy medicine? That's new." Both smiled, the blonde chuckled.

"Yeah well, he said there was no way in hell he'd let me cook." Naruto watched as Sakura's smile got wider; then she started laughing, wrapping her arms around her waist as her melodic laugh escaped through her lips. "Hey, I'm not that bad at cooking!" Naruto said defending himself, Sakura just shook her head and bent over, laughing so hard her body was shaking. "I make great ramen!" This sent Sakura into another bout of laughter. Naruto waited with a smile for the pinkette to stop laughing and regain her breath.

"Well then I guess I'll have to catch you later this week for dinner, bring Sasuke too. I'll get Sai and try to pull Kakashi away from Iruka-sensei." Sakura wiped tears from her eyes and inhaled deeply. Naruto's smile disappeared, an unsure look in his eyes.

"About that," Naruto started. "Sasuke doesn't really like Sai, I know the guy comes off strong but Sasuke just won't give him a chance. He won't want to go eat if he's coming." Sakura watched as Naruto's unsure look turned into a frown, the blonde obviously troubled at this.

"Don't worry about it Naruto," Sakura said, putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder comfortingly. "Just tell Sasuke to go tonight or withhold the sex." Naruto looked up to see Sakura smiling devilishly.

"That's not a punishment for Sasuke, that's punishment for me!" Naruto cried out, several older women nearby turning their heads to look at the two teenagers standing in the middle of the street.

"Well then threaten to do the opposite." Sakura didn't even need to glance over to tell the women were giving them the stink eye. "Anyway, I'll see you later Naruto!" At this Sakura started walking off, waving as she turned around, disappearing into the crowded street and went about her own business.

"Bye, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out, raising his hand to wave goodbye to his teammate. He could still feel the glares from the group of women nearby so he turned in his own direction and briskly walked to the next street. Once the blonde was down the street and out of eyesight from the women the smile returned to his face, not even people who hated him could keep his spirits down. His boyfriend was pregnant with their child for goodness sake!

The rest of the way home Naruto was smiling brightly, not even his would-be thieving earlier would keep him down. Just as Sasuke had said, when the blonde got home there was a tomato, ham and cheese sandwich in the refrigerator waiting for him. The first thing he did after setting the brown bag on the coffee table in the living room was take a huge bite out of it and look around the small apartment. Half of the clothes that had been on lines were gone, the rope neatly wrapped and sitting on the floor to the rest of the hanging line. Munching thoughtfully, Naruto walked into the smaller maze of lines, noticing that Sasuke's underwear was already put away. A little disheartened by the fact, Naruto finished his sandwich, dusting the crumbs on his pants he started taking down the clothes, folding them messily in a pile.

In the middle of his work he started humming some tune, folding in synch with the random beat. Once he finished with all the clothes, he went back and stooped down, picking up all the clothespins he had tossed to the floor earlier. Lastly, he pulled down the rope and finished tying it, this chore was done much neater than the other two and he set the rope down next to the pile of clothes pins and a pile of hazardously folded clothes. Satisfied with his work, Naruto collapsed on the couch, deciding to take a nap until his boyfriend got back.

* * *

**May 29th, the third week**

It had been just over two weeks since the seal had appeared; two weeks of gorgeous weather and Sasuke was stuck in a short-sleeved t-shirt. Naruto was off for the day and he was stuck de-weeding a fucking valley. Literally, he was in a training valley de-weeding it of dandelions and crabgrass. Normally, Sasuke wouldn't have minded, but normally he wasn't wearing a shirt in the midday sun. It was so hot and all he wanted to do was take off his shirt and work with his bare back in the sun.

He was going to have to do the laundry again this week, he really needed to buy more shirts with short sleeves, he only had six to begin with and he couldn't wear his numerous amounts of sleeveless because of the seal. Anyone would notice make up or a glamour on the Uchiha's pale skin so he had to hide the seal the old fashioned way, much to Sasuke's discontent. Getting up to his feet, Sasuke stretched his back out and wiped away the sweat from his brow. He'd been at this for four hours already. That weird feeling of being watched suddenly sent tingles up his spine; he turned around and saw a very familiar face grinning at him. Now saying this face was familiar didn't mean he had to like the person, including his face.

"Sai." Sasuke grunted. Sai nodded at Sasuke saying his name, that fake smile on his lips. Anger boiled in Sasuke's throat, his head clouding in rage. He hated Sai, hated that goddamned fucking smile.

"Hello Sasuke-san." Sai spoke, still smiling. Sasuke turned away from the other male, checking to see if he had missed any weeds in the section he was in. "How are you today?" Sai asked, regardless of Sasuke's blatant dismissal.

"Fine." Sasuke answered. He kneeled and pulled out a small dandelion and tossed into the bag already full of weeds.

"I am also well, if you were wondering." Sai stepped forward, watching Sasuke pick the weeds, Sasuke didn't respond. "I have a question." Sai spoke quietly.

"What?" The Uchiha bit out, he wiped away the sweat on his forehead with his forearm.

"What is love?" Sai asked; Sasuke stopped what he was doing and looked up. His facial expression was blank with just a twinge of anger in his narrowed eyes.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke barked, glaring at the still smiling Sai.

"What is love?" Sai iterated. Sasuke glared at him for a second more before shaking his head and standing up again, ready to ignore him. "Naruto-kun talks in his sleep, he said he loved you and I want to know, what does it mean to love someone?" Sasuke gave Sai a long careful look, discerning the fake smile from the crinkles underneath his eyes. Internally, he was debating on talking to the other male, he had never liked Sai but Naruto kept telling him he would get used to the guy's horrible personality.

"Love is a lot of things," Sasuke picked up the bag full of weeds and hefted it onto his back, moving farther into the valley. "The Dobe was probably saying that he loved ramen too." Out of the corner of his eye Sasuke saw the smile drop from Sai's face, black eyes hollow as they stared at him.

"No, he only said you're name and that he loved you." Sai muttered. Sasuke didn't respond, he walked until he reached a patch of dandelions and set the bag down before getting down to work. A small warm feeling wiggled its way into Sasuke's stomach but he didn't let it show on his face.

"You seriously don't know what love is?" Sasuke asked, Sai didn't look up but nodded. Sighing Sasuke took a minute to think about what he was going to say.

"You know how hard Naruto worked to bring me back, how many he times he barged into the Hokage's office to demand she get me out of isolation." Sai nodded, the blonde had been relentless back then. "He did it because he loved me."

"But from books I've read say that when a man and a woman love each other are couples, how can you two be a couple if you're both male?" Sai asked, Sasuke looked up and saw Sai smiling that fake smile; it pissed him off all over again. "I'm just curious." Looking away again, Sasuke tried to wipe the scowl off his face, pissed at Sai's existence all over again.

"Books from the public and academy libraries are old and outdated, lifestyles are more diverse these days, families aren't cut out from pictures anymore." Sasuke stood up again and pulled the bag over his shoulder again. Sai stood up and followed Sasuke to a patch of crabgrass.

"I see," Sai didn't get down to help Sasuke; he stood next to the Uchiha and watched as he uprooted the crabgrass quickly and cleanly. "What about children?" Sasuke felt his stomach drop for a second; he paused in his movement and then continued.

"Most families have them, procreating or adopting. Others don't, it's different for each family and their situation." Sasuke muttered. Sai didn't respond at first, taking in the information.

"I see." Sai finally muttered. "Do you want kids, Sasuke-san?" Sasuke stopped and leaned back on his knees, glaring up at the other male. Sai was still smiling, eyes closed in a fake expression of happiness.

"That's none of your business, Sai." Sasuke said matter of fact and went back to picking out the crabgrass. Sai didn't walk away though, much to Sasuke's annoyance.

"Naruto-kun wants kids, you should know that." Sai said, Sasuke stopped what he was doing again and stood up, giving Sai the death glare.

"Keep your nose out of our lives Sai, what Naruto wants in his relationship with me is none of your concern." Growling menacingly Sasuke watched as Sai's smile lessened considerably.

"I just want you and Naruto-kun to be happy, Sasuke-san, I don't mean to overstep boundaries." Sai said, unwilling to back down from the obvious challenge.

"I suggest you go home, Sai, now." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and clenched his black-gloved fists; he should never have listened to his Dobe. If he ever found a chance to kill the meddling, cross dressing bastard, he would take it with no hesitation. Sai stood there for a minute, unwilling to budge before he took a step back, averting his gaze to the ground, smile returning full force.

"It was nice to see you again, Sasuke-san." Sasuke didn't respond, he watched Sai turn away and walk out of the field, back onto the road and out of sight. Sighing deeply Sasuke got back on his knees and finished pulling the crabgrass out. He couldn't wait to get home and confront his lover.

* * *

"Sai asked me a question today." Sasuke said as he placed the plates back in the cupboard, their chinking sound filling the kitchen. Naruto looked up from piling the dishes neatly on top of the counter for Sasuke to put up, the dishwasher open and half empty. Sasuke had already put refolded the clothes and put away the clothespins and rope, kicked Naruto off the couch and were now doing the dishes before meeting up with the rest of team seven for dinner.

"When?" The blonde's response was immediate. He knew Sasuke didn't like Sai and the thought of the two having a civil conversation did not look pretty.

"While I was de-weeding the training field." Naruto turned back to the dishes.

"What about?" Naruto curiously asked wondering what Sasuke was going to tell him. Sasuke turned around and picked up a pile of bowls, Naruto adding one on top before letting the Uchiha put it away.

"He asked me, 'what is love?'" Sasuke repeated he glanced over at the blonde to see if there was a reaction but Naruto just grinned and looked back at Sasuke before opening his mouth.

"Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more." Sasuke set the bowls in the cupboard before whacking Naruto on the back of his head rather roughly. "Ow! Dammit, Teme, it's a song." Naruto complained, rubbing the back of his head and wincing as Sasuke smirked.

"I know, Dobe, you're being an idiot." The Uchiha reached a hand out to rub the back of Naruto's head but the blonde jumped away quickly. Rolling his eyes Sasuke pulled Naruto by his shirt's collar and gave him a soft peck on the lips as an apology. Naruto came out of the kiss grinning.

"Well, what did you say?" The blonde asked as he returned to grouping clean dished by what they were. Sasuke grabbed a handful of forks and pulled open a drawer and setting them in neatly.

"I told him what I thought love is and then he asked me if I wanted kids." Sasuke gave Naruto a look of contempt as the blonde sheepishly shied away from his lover.

"Eheh, well Sakura was talking about settling down, Kakashi was talking about moving in with Iruka and adopting and I just couldn't help myself." When Sasuke's look hardened, Naruto raised his hands up in defense. "I just told them that I wanted to be a daddy and you could be the mommy and we'd have a bunch of kids, that's all, I swear!" Naruto backed up against the counter on the other side of the kitchen and watched as Sasuke stalked towards him.

"I'm the mommy?" Sasuke asked seductively, he wrapped his arms around Naruto's shoulder, knee slipping between the blonde's orange clad legs. At first, Naruto was scared the Uchiha was going to knee him in the balls hard but when his lover didn't he relaxed.

"Well yeah, Sasuke," Naruto started, he set his hands on Sasuke's waist and looked into his lover's eyes. "You are the one who's pregnant." The blonde leaned down for a kiss and rubbed Sasuke's stomach softly. Sasuke smiled and broke the kiss, rubbing his knee against the blonde's groin softly, exciting him. "You're not mad at me are you Sasuke?"

"No I'm not mad at you." Sasuke mumbled as he kissed the blonde again. "Did you get the pills?" Sasuke asked. Naruto nodded and glanced over to the family room, tilting his head down to brush their foreheads together.

"Yeah, they're on the coffee table." Naruto whispered and he kissed his lover again, moving his hands to Sasuke's ass. "But uh, before you pop those prenatal pills open how 'bout we go another round?" Naruto raised his eyebrows suggestively and massaged the pale globes in his hands gently.

"Hn, Dobe, you're insatiable." Sasuke grinned and kissed his blonde, deepening the kiss as he continued to massage Naruto's crotch with his knee. Getting even more excited Naruto leaned forward, making Sasuke lean backwards and devoured the Uchiha's mouth. Sasuke gladly allowed the blonde's tongue inside his mouth, running across teeth before pushing against his own pink muscle playfully. When Naruto pulled out of the kiss Sasuke grinned and let his arms fall, coming to rest with his fingers over the blonde's clothed erection.

Deciding to move to a more comfortable space, Naruto released his grip and gently pushed his lover away. Grabbing the Uchiha's hand, he made his way to the couch, pulling Sasuke into another embrace their lips met in an immediately deep kiss. Tongues dueling to conquer the others' mouth as Naruto turned around until the back of Sasuke's legs hit the armrest of the couch. Then Naruto leaned down, toppling them over onto the couch so Sasuke lay underneath him. The blonde broke the kiss, slipping tongue back inside his own mouth and looked down at his lover. He leaned down and kissed the raven again. Sasuke accepted the kiss, eyes fluttering closed as Naruto pulled on his lower lip softly before letting it go.

"That's because I can never give you enough pleasure, you're giving me two of the greatest things I could ever have." Naruto leaned down and kissed Sasuke again, catching the Uchiha's upper lip to nibble on. When Naruto lifted his head the second time Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Stop speaking like an idiot, Dobe." Sasuke mumbled. "What am I giving you?" Naruto grinned and leaned down, catching the corner of Sasuke's lips in a kiss. Trailing his lips across Sasuke's cheek to his pale ear, gently biting the ear lobe.

"You're giving me," Naruto's hands moved to Sasuke's abdomen and rubbed it gently. "Your baby, our baby." Naruto whispered, he moved his hands upwards to the hem of Sasuke's shirt, his fingers riding it up as he went in search of Sasuke's nipples.

"And the other?" Sasuke asked, he felt the callous fingers explore his chest until they came to rest on his nipples, Naruto's mouth lifted from his ear and the blonde looked down at his lover with a soft smile.

"You're love." Naruto said simply, he leaned down and kissed his lover again, tongue roving over Sasuke's intimately. Sasuke used his own tongue to push Naruto's out of his mouth, raising his head, when his tongue touched Naruto's lips he pulled back.

"Tch, now you're just being mushy." Sasuke muttered, a stoic but satisfied expression on his face. Naruto leaned down for another kiss but the sound of someone opening a window jolted the two out of their daze. Sasuke pushed Naruto to the ground and sat up, back straight as a board and face lacking any emotions. Naruto cried out in surprise as he fell onto the floor, landing with a thud. Turning around, Sasuke found their old mentor and friend, Kakashi sitting on the windowsill, book in hand, his thumb stuffed between two of the pages.

"Yo." The white haired ninja smiled underneath his mask, visible eye in the shape of a 'u'. Sasuke continued to stare at the older man, watching him from slightly slanted eyes, appraising the other ninja. Surprised Naruto got up off the floor, dusting off his ass as he looked to Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said in slight confusion. Said older male jumped from the ledge of the window, over the bed and onto the wooden floor with a small almost imperceptible thump.

"What do you want Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, his expression didn't change and there was no hostility in his voice. Just the same old Sasuke that everyone saw, Naruto, the anbu who had been on Sasuke's guard duty and those who happened to see Sasuke being affectionate on those extremely rare occasions in public. Naruto grinned at the question; he always got a kick at watching Sasuke's change in attitude. One minute he'd be all sweet and cuddly and the next he'd be the frigid pick he'd been to everyone growing up.

"Oh, just wanted to drop in on my two favorite troublemakers, see what they're up too." Kakashi spoke lazily, he came to the living room part of the apartment and stood in front of the coffee table, his eye taking in the whole apartment in one fellow swoop.

"We were going to do some _practice_." Sasuke emphasized, he never liked being subtle.

"Oh I could tell, did you ah, get anything special for your _practice_?" Kakashi asked, nodding to the brown bag on the coffee table. Naruto immediately blushed and looked at the bag, brain deep in the gutter of perversion.

"Uh-um, that's not-" Naruto stammered, scratching the back of his head while grinning wide, trying to hide his blush.

"It's medicine, painkillers, gauze, and healing ointment. Things I'll need for minor cuts and scrapes when I go out on missions." Sasuke emotionlessly spoke, the question not fazing him at all. Kakashi nodded, taking his eye off the bag to look at Sasuke.

"The Hokage wants you to report in her office for your next mission tomorrow morning." Kakashi stated then turned to walk to the front door. Naruto spluttered out his confusion while Sasuke nodded and leaned back on the couch, smirking at his Dobe's actions.

"Wha-hey Kakashi-sensei! Take your shoes off next time you walk into our apartment!" Naruto hollered at the top of his lungs, following the white haired ninja out the front door.

"Don't be late for dinner! I'm missing dinner with my beloved Dolphin-chan for this!" Kakashi yelled as he jumped over the railing. Naruto stopped at the doorframe, watching the Jonin leave.

"Kakashi!" Naruto yelled but Kakashi was already to far away to respond. Angry, Naruto shut the door and locked it, he stomped over to the bed and closed and locked the window, which Kakashi had left open. "Damn pervert." The blonde muttered. Throughout all of this Sasuke watched his lover move about their apartment, a small smile gracing his lips, stare softening into a look of amusement. When Naruto finished locking up the apartment he huffed angrily and returned to the couch, sitting down next to the Uchiha.

"Dobe." Sasuke grabbed the blonde by his shirt and pulled him close. Instinctively, the blonde wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and lifted said male onto his lap.

Allowing himself to be manhandled, Sasuke kept a grip on Naruto's black shirt and when he was situated, both legs on either side of Naruto's as they sat face to face the Uchiha kissed Naruto, roughly demanding tongue action. Sasuke's tongue wormed its way into Naruto's mouth, forcing the blonde to respond. Naruto was surprised at first but quickly overcame it, he fought valiantly but Sasuke was not going to give in and the urge to dominate became apparent. Once Sasuke realized his lover was fighting back with a passion he broke the kiss.

"Feel better?" Sasuke asked, Naruto blinked then smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, thanks Teme." Naruto sighed happily and leaned forward, resting his head in the crook of Sasuke's neck. "That was a close one though Sasuke, what if Kakashi had decided to be even nosier and went looking through the bag?" Sasuke brought a hand up to run it through blonde hair.

"I would have said it got mixed up with actual pain killers, you are an idiot, Dobe." Sasuke smirked as Naruto growled and lifted his head.

"You are so lucky you're pregnant, Teme or I would have thrown you against the wall and started fucking you already." Frowning, Naruto gently gripped Sasuke's chin and tilted it downwards so he could kiss him again.

"Well then we'd be late for dinner." Sasuke muttered with a smile before meeting Naruto's puckering lips with his own. Both blue and black eyes closed when their lips touched, meeting in a soft, sweet chaste kiss.

* * *

Kakashi and Sakura were already at Ichiraku's when Naruto and Sasuke arrived, both were glad that Sai was noticeably absent. The old man, Teuchi, who owned the restaurant was busy with another few customers on the other end of the bar table, he glanced over at the four people but stayed with the other customers. Over the years, only Sakura had really changed between the two. Her whole figure had filled out; she wore skintight black legging that peeked from underneath her pink skirt and had traded in her pink top for a chuunin vest. She still wore her petal pink hair short, held out of her face by her headband and her green eyes were as bright as ever.

"Kakashi, I'm surprised you're actually on time." Naruto commented. The white haired jonin took his elbows off the bar table and scratched the back of his head, his single visible eye shaped in a 'U'.

"Well actually, Sakura here was kind enough to escort me when she saw me just perusing through the streets-"

"I caught him before he managed to reach Iruka's house, if he had I wouldn't have dared to walk in to pull him out." Sakura interrupted the older man, rolling her eyes at their old teacher's excuse. Naruto smiled and laughed as he and Sasuke took the last barstools on the far end, Sasuke taking the one next to Sakura while Naruto took the one next to the wall of the shop.

"Well, he managed to make into our house before you caught him." Naruto said and watched Kakashi shrug his shoulders, putting his elbows back on the bar counter, slouching forward. Sakura's eyes widened and her smile dropped into a look of confusion.

"He went to your house?" She glanced over at Kakashi and back at her two friends in surprise.

"Wanted to see if he could learn some new tricks for Iruka." Sasuke muttered. He glanced over at Sakura with a raised eyebrow, a small, lopsided twitch in the corner of his mouth that constituted as a smile. Not missing a beat, Naruto leaned over Sasuke, his hand on the Uchiha's shoulder for leverage.

"But you know what they say about old dogs." Naruto winked and sat back down, the hand on Sasuke's shoulder discretely sliding down to his elbow before letting it drop. Sasuke didn't so much as blink at the touch, watching Sakura realize what they were talking about and Kakashi drum his fingers against the counter in pointed ignorance.

"Oh," Sakura muttered. "Kakashi you're such a pervert." She looked over to the white haired man and gave him a disappointed look. Kakashi grinned underneath the mask, the only tell tale sign was his eye closing and making the 'u' shape that he always made when he smiled. Naruto and Sasuke turned to watch the owner of the restaurant finally make his way over to them as a presence made itself known to them.

"Am I late?" A voice behind the four asked. Everyone turned around to see Sai taking a fifth seat next to Kakashi, a fake smile on his face. Immediately Sasuke's mood dampened, Naruto glanced at his lover, sat his hands on the table and rested one of them over Sasuke's pale fingers.

"Almost," Sakura happily leaned forward, looking from Sai to Teuchi. "Finally ready for us?" She asked the old man and he smiled and nodded, chuckling.

"Sure am! What can I get my favorite customers?" Teuchi looked over all five of them, waiting for someone to order first.

"I'll have miso!" Naruto grinned and the old man nodded.

"Beef." Sasuke muttered.

"I'll have beef as well." Sakura gave Teuchi a big smile and glanced at her old sensei.

"Miso, please." Kakashi's monotonous request earned a nod.

"I would like some miso ramen." Sai's voice made Sasuke inwardly cringe but he refused to let it show. Naruto gripped Sasuke's hand and squeezed gently; he knew Sasuke was not having fun anymore.

"Perfect, I'll start cooking right away!" Teuchi smiled and turned around, getting the necessary ingredients. Silence settled between the five, Sakura glancing over at Naruto and Sasuke and the blonde was discreetly looking at the Uchiha. Sakura saw their hands but didn't say anything, she turned to look on her other side and saw Kakashi watching Teuchi work while Sai just stared at the table.

"So, Sasuke, how is it now that you don't have any anbu watching you every moment of the day?" Sakura asked, drumming her fingers against the counter to stop her from getting nervous about the tense atmosphere.

"Hn." Sasuke tersely responded. He glanced up at Sakura and then back at down at his hands, flipping the one under the blonde's hand to intertwine their fingers together. Naruto gave a small smile and tightened his grip reassuringly.

"It must be nice to be fucked by dickless over there without people watching." Sai spoke up. Sasuke visibly stiffened and Naruto looked up sharply, bright blue eyes angrily staring down at the artist.

"Sai!" Sakura yelled. She slammed her fists on the table loudly and stood up from stool, ready to hit the male.

"Hey! You've never seen me in action! You don't even know, tell him Sasuke!" Naruto leaned over the able, pointing at Sai angrily and then looked over to his Uchiha. Everyone looked over to Sasuke who was admiring the table casually; he slipped his fingers out of Naruto's grip and ran it through his hair slowly.

"Sai, you don't know." Sasuke glanced over the other three teammates stoically before turning back to his lover, giving him a smirk. The Uchiha knew it would rile the blonde up and say more than he would mean to. Sasuke wanted to go over and rip Sai's voice box out but he ignored the feeling, Naruto would not be happy with him ruining his own celebration.

"Teme, that's not what I meant! Tell them I'm good, no, great in bed!" Naruto gave Sasuke a look to urge him on but Sasuke refused to play along with the blonde. Sasuke took a relaxing breath and turned back to his old teammates.

"Naruto is good, no, great in bed." Sasuke couldn't help but smirk when he heard Naruto's head hit the table, Sakura smiling widely and Kakashi's eye becoming a 'u' again. Sai even had the decency to give a fake grin even though he wouldn't look up from the table.

"Teme! That's not what I meant!" Naruto cried out. He leaned forward and draped himself over Sasuke's frame, discretely rubbing his crotch against Sasuke's hip gently.

"Hn," Sasuke muttered. Just as Naruto was going to say something, a presence of several people out on the street caught everyone's attention. Almost everyone turned around to welcome the newcomers, Naruto just moved his head, half his face nuzzling Sasuke's duck butt hair so Sasuke was the only one who couldn't see who was coming.

"Kiba? Hinata? Shino?" Naruto questioned aloud. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We wanted to congratulate Sasuke on being reinstated." Sasuke heard Kiba's voice. Naruto got off of the Uchiha and allowed him to turn around.

"Yes, congratulations." Hinata murmured softly. Sasuke's eyes met hers and for a brief moment they were looking at each other. Sasuke's hadn't expected her to be looking but not a full two seconds later she was looking down at the floor.

"Congrats." Shino muttered from behind his oversized collar and jacket's hood. Sasuke glanced over to the Aburame, nodded and looked back to the Inuzuka.

"Thank you, we appreciate it." Sasuke watched as Kiba's feral grin grew wider.

"No problem man, it's just a shame we weren't able to do much while you were incarcerated." Kiba rubbed his nose with his pointer finger and glanced over at his teammates.

"No one but Naruto was able to do much of anything for Sasuke back then and even then he all he did was break down some doors and harass a few anbu guards." Kakashi waved Kiba's statement easily. The white haired Jonin's statements made Naruto stiffen and blush, suddenly thinking that Sasuke's ruffled hair was much interesting to look at than his friends.

"Haha! That must have been a sight to see!" Kiba laughed as he watched Naruto's face go red.

"Yeah well…" Naruto trailed off, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"We should, uh, get going. We have some night training with Kurenai and we wanted to see you before we left." Hinata mumbled quietly. Shino nodded in agreement and Kiba shrugged his shoulders unaffected.

"We'll see you guys later! Have fun!" Naruto grinned and waved at the team left.

"Bye!" Sakura called out. Hinata turned back to wave before disappearing into the street, leaving the five of them alone again. Just as they were turning around again, six new presences made themselves known just as they stepped into the shop. All of team seven found themselves looking up at Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, Rock Lee, Tenten and Neji. They surrounded team seven, most smiling and others looking bored out of their minds.

"How did you guys know where we were?" Naruto asked dumbly. Everyone, including his own teammates, was staring at him like he had grown a second head.

"Naruto, you always come to Ichiraku's to celebrate, you'd have to be an idiot to not know that." Ino gave the blonde an, 'are you really that stupid?' look. Chouji inhaled deeply, trying not to stare at the ramen that was being cooked behind the bar but couldn't help but glance.

"But we came to offer our congratulations to the lovely youth Sasuke for his reinstatement as a ninja of Konoha!" Rock Lee pumped his fist up in the air and gave a dazzling white smile to the Uchiha.

"Thank you." Sasuke nodded to the entire group, glancing at everyone quickly.

"Are you guys going to stay and eat with us?" Naruto asked. The blonde raised an arm leaned against Sasuke again, the people standing all looked at each other, wondering what everyone was going to do.

"Sorry, but it's not our celebration. You guys enjoy your ramen." Shikamaru spoke up. He nodded to Sasuke and Naruto before turning around and walking away, Ino and Shikamaru following him.

"I must concur, it was a victory for team seven and we would be overstaying our welcome." Neji glanced over at his teammates before nodding his farewell, Tenten and Rock Lee doing the same. "We shall see you later."

"May your youth shine brightly!" Rock Lee gave his famous tooth sparkling grin as the three left the ramen bar.

"Have a good night you guys!" Sakura called out. She turned back to Sasuke and Naruto grinning. "Well aren't you popular tonight Sasuke."

"Hn." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and turned back around on his seat, Naruto straightening back up on his own chair as Kakashi and Sai repositioned themselves as well.

"I must admit, the views of your peers are and have always been overwhelmingly positive. It's created quite a dilemma for a few in power." Kakashi set his elbows on the table and folded his fingers together to rest his chin on them.

"What are you talking about Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"He's talking about people who didn't get their way concerning me." Sasuke interrupted the conversation. Sakura looked at the table, mulling the information over.

"Well they certainly aren't going to enjoy the last few years of their miserable lives." Sai's voice broke the silence.

"We'll make sure of that." Kakashi added. Naruto listened quietly to the conversation and burst out laughing at the last sentence. All four of Naruto's friends looked over to the blonde, waiting for him to stop laughing to explain just what was so funny.

"Geez, just thinking about those two old crones sitting around wringing their hands about Sasuke and not being able to do anything is just too funny!" Naruto grinned widely and gave Sasuke a quick, adoration filled look.

"What are we going to do with you, Naruto?" Sakura shook her head and smiled at the blonde.

"You won't do anything." Sasuke muttered. "I will personally make sure he is dealt with properly." He turned to the blonde and smirked. Naruto raised his eyebrows, silently accepting the challenge.

"Can't wait." Naruto kept his eyes locked on Sasuke, wondering what the Uchiha was planning.

"Can you two keep your bedroom chatter in the bedroom?" Kakashi asked.

"We are in public." Sakura continued. "It's not right to hold private conversations out in the open, someone that can be easily influenced might here something they shouldn't." Naruto looked away just in time to see the pink haired chuunin crack her knuckles threateningly, an annoyed look evident on her face. Sasuke heard said knuckles crack and turned to look straight forward, his smirk disappearing behind a mask of indifference.

"Completely true. I wouldn't want some poor innocent hearing all about the dirty things Naruto and I do in the middle of the night." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders casually as if he was talking about the weather. Sakura blinked owlishly, then opened her mouth to berate Sasuke for making fun of her but was interrupted by a bowl being set in front of her.

"Beef ramen for Sakura and Sasuke," Teuchi sat both bowls down quickly before turned back to pick up more bowls. "And Miso for Naruto, Kakashi and Sai." Teuchi distributed the bowls to them and wiped his hands with a towel. "Enjoy!"

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto yelled out and grabbed a pair of chopsticks enthusiastically.

"Thank you for the meal." Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi and Sai all muttered simultaneously as they grabbed their own pairs of chopsticks. Teuchi gave them all one last nod before turning around to go about his business. All five them started to eat their meals, Naruto the loudest, slurping obnoxiously as he enjoyed his miso flavored noodles. After a few minutes Sakura straightened herself and looked to her left, and then to her right.

"You know, this feels like old times again." Sakura smiled softly. No one answered her, all too busy eating, Naruto didn't even hear her but Sasuke glanced over to her quickly before looking back into his half emptied bowl. As much as Sasuke wanted to deny it, even with Sai, it did feel like old times and he was enjoying almost every minute of it.


	4. The Compound

**June 6th, the fourth week**

"Hey, Teme?" Naruto called from the couch, his head on the armrest as his feet hung over the other, an open baby book in his hands. Sasuke looked up from the biology book he was flipping through on the bed. "I've been thinking about something."

"Take some medication, Dobe, you must be in a lot of pain." Sasuke smirked when he looked up and found said blonde giving him an angry stare. "What have you been thinking about, Usuratonkachi?" Sasuke finally asked, setting the biology book in his lap.

"In, like, eight months we're going to have a baby, a living, breathing, and _crying_ baby." Naruto said, bright blue eyes still staring at Sasuke.

"What an accomplishment, Dobe, you can count." Continuing to smirk, Sasuke looked back down to the biology book, searching for the sentence he had stopped in the middle of. Sasuke heard Naruto's book close and the sound of sagging cushions returning to their previous, less saggy form. The sound of footfalls coming closer alerted Sasuke that Naruto was coming to join him on the bed. Just as he predicted, the bed dipped down next to him and the blonde leaned against the Uchiha's shoulder.

"Not funny, Teme." Naruto muttered as he looked down at Sasuke's book. "What I'm getting at is we're not going to be the only two in this apartment anymore." Resting his hand on the book, Sasuke glanced over at the blonde, waiting for him to continue. "I don't think it'll be big enough, we're already a little cramped as it is."

"So what do you want to do?" Sasuke asked. Naruto looked up at Sasuke then sighed heavily.

"We're going to have to get a bigger apartment or something, if anyone was willing to have me live in their respectable apartments." Naruto sarcastically muttered. "But a baby will be loud, it's going to cry at random times at night and it'll disturb our neighbors more than we already do. It'll give the landlord an actual reason to kick us out." Sasuke didn't say anything for a moment, letting his Dobe worry just a little longer before he let him in on an idea. Honestly, it was a great idea. Not that Sasuke liked it, but it was the only way. He had already thought extensively on the subject, had come up with several answers but only one idea fit. Solemnly, Naruto put his hand on top of Sasuke's that was in the book, nuzzling his face into Sasuke's shoulder. He was completely depressed.

"I'm going to assume you're saying we need to find another place to live, one that has more space than our apartment, not a lot of neighbors and no landlord?" Sasuke turned his eyes back to the book in his lap; he turned his hand over and held Naruto's hand in his own.

"We can't afford to buy a house, Teme, you said so yourself yesterday." Naruto watched as Sasuke played with his calloused fingers.

"The compound, Usuratonkachi." Responding, Sasuke massaged one of Naruto's callouses, rubbing it in a circular motion.

"What?" Naruto jumped into a sitting position, his eyes going wide in realization.

"The Uchiha compound," Sasuke repeated, eyes following Naruto's movements. "I still own the whole compound, the houses, shops and training fields. We could move into one of the houses down there, I don't know about my old home but," Hesitating, Sasuke looked down back at his book, hand still gripping Naruto's. "No landlord, no nosy neighbors unless we wanted to rent houses out for a while. We'd be able to make money that way too, after we clean them up a bit, remove all the possessions of the previous owners and make sure the water and electricity is running." Sasuke started to babble, Naruto suddenly grabbed Sasuke's chin and planted a kiss on the still talking Uchiha.

The blonde feverishly attacked Sasuke's mouth, tongue forcing it's way past pale pink lips. Sasuke hesitantly returned the kiss, surprised by Naruto's reaction. It took a few moments but once Sasuke started fighting for dominance Naruto knew his boyfriend was back to his old self. Pulling out of the kiss, Naruto licked his lips, smiling at his own resourcefulness. Both men breathed heavily, air finally flowing back into their lungs.

"What's up with you Sasuke? You're never this," Naruto paused, thinking of the right word. "Unsure, about details. You always have a plan." Naruto turned his hand so that he was holding Sasuke's.

"Hormones." Sasuke stated as he turned his head back to the book in his lap. "I'm not a woman so my body isn't naturally making enough estrogen or even progesterone for that matter," He pointed to a paragraph in the book and Naruto glanced at it and then back at his Uchiha.

"So?" Naruto asked, not really understanding what Sasuke was trying to explain.

"In order to cope with providing for the baby, my body is trying to adapt and produce such hormones which is causing a chemical imbalance." Sasuke leaned onto Naruto, expression troubled. Naruto comfortingly wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulders and attempted to relax the Uchiha, holding him. After a few moments of silence Sasuke straightened, the stoic expression back on his face. "So the compound, what do you think?" He asked as if he hadn't almost had a breakdown only moments before. Smiling softly, Naruto rubbed his thumb over the back of Sasuke's hand soothingly.

"I think it's perfect, dozens of houses to choose from, no more paying rent. We can even get Sakura, Kakashi and Iruka to move into the compound to, Sakura has been wanting to get out of her parent's house for a while now and Iruka is getting embarrassed in front of his neighbors by Kakashi, both of their apartments are too small for two." Naruto imagined living in the compound, eyes gazing past what he was seeing.

"Yeah," Sasuke muttered. Sighing, he lifted both his and Naruto's hands and closed the book in his lap before tossing it onto the end of the bed and made a quick getaway to the bathroom. Confused, Naruto followed Sasuke, a little worried by the sudden change dash.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called out as Sasuke disappeared into the bathroom, he didn't bother shutting the door, knowing that the Dobe would just open it anyway.

"I need to use the bathroom, Dobe, stop worrying. I won't start getting morning sickness for a few more weeks and even then it will hopefully start in the morning." Sasuke unzipped his fly as he rolled his eyes and did his business, Naruto standing in the doorway with a smile on his face.

"What, Usuratonkachi?" Naruto just continued to grin until Sasuke was done with his business and answered when the Uchiha was washing his hands.

"You really are pregnant, Teme." This earned another eye role.

"Tch, idiot." Naruto couldn't help but keep grinning at the affectionate nickname. Sasuke flicked Naruto's nose as he walked out of the bathroom and headed for the couch, Naruto following him. "Here." Sasuke picked up the baby book Naruto had been reading and pushed it into the blonde's chest.

"When do you want to go to the compound, you know, to check it out?" Naruto asked, he grabbed the book sitting in between Sasuke's hand and his chest. Sasuke smirked and walked away, heading for the bed.

"In a couple days, Dobe. I have to get permission from the Hokage to open it first." Naruto grinned and put the book back on the coffee table, open and face down before following the Uchiha.

* * *

**June 15th the fifth week**

The whole way down to the compound, Naruto was bouncing. He was so excited that not even two weeks ago, he was worried that they would be kicked out of the only place they could stay. Now they were going to pick out one of the houses in the Uchiha compound to live in, the whole district belonged to Sasuke, how could he have forgotten?

"Calm down, Dobe." Sasuke muttered, stoic expression solidly in place as he grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled him back from literally skipping down the street. The blonde did as he was told; he gripped Sasuke's hand tightly and was smiling so brightly people were starting to give the two looks.

"I can't help it Sasuke, it's just so exciting." Naruto leaned over and kissed Sasuke's cheek briefly. Glancing around quickly, Sasuke made sure no one was looking he turned and gave Naruto a gentle smile.

"Trust me, it won't be exciting anymore when we're cleaning the whole compound up." Sasuke smiled when Naruto rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

"Pft! I'm going to be the next Hokage! Cleaning houses is nothing compared to that!" Naruto let himself be pulled down another street, Sasuke smirking as he pulled the blonde up to the entrance of the Uchiha compound.

"We'll see about that, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke retorted. He stepped up to the closed gates and placed a hand on the seal that was placed on them and used his chakra to deactivate it. He stepped back as the seal burst into flames, shriveling up into nothing. Stepping up again Sasuke pulled the handle and the wooden gates creaked as the swung open. The wooden doors were on an intricate wooden system that allowed both doors to open with one being pulled.

"The gates need oil." Naruto noted, he started to walk towards the compound but Sasuke held him back.

"There's another barrier, Dobe, it's not that easy to get into the compound." Sasuke stepped past the blonde and looked to either side of the entrance. He moved for the left side and placed a hand on the hinges. A seal on the pillar behind the gate appeared in a crackling noise, sparks burst from it. Then suddenly, as if a panel of slanted glass had been removed, the compound looked brighter, things clearer than Naruto first saw. Sasuke took his hand off the hinges of the gate and motioned for Naruto to come join him.

"That was cool." Naruto said, grinning. His hand immediately slipped into Sasuke's, holding it securely.

"Tch, Dobe." Sasuke rolled his eyes but didn't pull his hand away. As soon as they were in the compound the gates creaked shut, Naruto quickly turned around, watching the doors slam shut. The barrier reactivated, the gates becoming a blurry outline behind it. Surprised, Naruto whipped his head to look at Sasuke who was trying to hold back a smirk, eyes twinkling in mischief and his hand held out to the door, closed in a fist. Sasuke's fist caught Naruto's attention and looked down at it, a thin almost unnoticeable wire wrapped around his knuckles. Bright blue eyes followed the wire back to the gates where the wire was expertly strung through a metal latch under the seal and tied to the knob of the gate. Realization came quick and Naruto turned back to his lover to playfully punch him in the shoulder.

"Bastard!" Naruto yelled, lips splitting into a wide grin. Sasuke chuckled and let the wire unravel from his hand as Naruto softly punched him again. "You nearly scared the crap out of me!" Sasuke chuckled at the blonde's exclamation, tightening his grip on the blonde's hand. Naruto noticed this and calmed down. Still grinning madly, he leaned over and kissed Sasuke on the cheek. Feeling that a simple kiss wasn't enough, Naruto lifted his free hand to cup Sasuke's chin and gently forced said Uchiha to turn his head. Sasuke accepted the kiss, eyes fluttering closed.

When Naruto pulled away, both opened their eyes and looked at each other. Love, among dozens of other emotions swirled in both azure and obsidian eyes. They stayed like that for a few moments; Naruto blushed a deep red, spreading from ear to ear. Quickly, he looked away and shifting his stance as he readjusted his baggy orange pants. Knowing exactly what was wrong with Naruto, Sasuke smirked and also looked away. Moving forward again, Sasuke pulled Naruto down the street. They walked quietly, Naruto was unusually quiet which made Sasuke's smirk widen.

"This was mostly part of the shopping district, all these homes are store fronts on the first floor and the second floor is living space, spacious but I am not living above a store." Sasuke remarked, pretending he didn't know his lover had a hard-on.

"That's fine with me, Teme." Naruto responded quickly. They turned down a street, this time smaller one story stores followed by building that looked like actual houses. Sasuke didn't even glance at the houses; he walked right past all of them. Before Naruto knew it, he was completely lost in street upon street of houses. "This place is huge." Naruto murmured. Sasuke glanced over then turned back to facing the street.

"Yeah, there were a few hundred families that lived here." Sasuke said quietly. Naruto caught the lack of emotion in his voice and he squeezed Sasuke's hand. The Uchiha shook his head and squeezed Naruto's hand in return. "It was a long time ago, I got therapy for it." The blonde broke out into a chuckle he couldn't hold back.

"Yeah, Teme, you went from a cold hearted bastard child to a cold hearted bastard teenager." Naruto grinned when Sasuke stopped walking to hit the blonde with his free hand, grinning angrily.

"Dobe!" Sasuke yelled as Naruto avoided the fist by leaning backwards, the dark haired male expected as much and maneuvered one of his feet behind the blonde's. Just as predicted Naruto tried to take a step backwards and tripped over Sasuke's foot.

Surprised by the trajectory Naruto was going, his bright blue eyes widened, mouth forming an 'o' as he tried to latch onto something to keep himself upright. With his other hand firmly clenched around Sasuke's shirt, he latched his free hand to the pale wrist, dragging his lover down with him. He hit the smoothly cobbled stone like a sack of bricks, his head roughly smacking the stone before bouncing back up into the air. The blonde shut his eyes tightly, the pain reverberating against his skull a dozen times in an instant. Right after that, Sasuke's not so light body fell on top of him, his chest taking the most weight.

"Oomph!" Naruto cried out in surprise, almost immediately part of Sasuke's weight lifted off of him. The sound of skin slapping against rock broke through the ringing inside Naruto's head and he opened his eyes to find Sasuke right above him. Black eyes were staring straight into Naruto's, a pissed off tension at the edges of them. At first, Naruto stared with wide eyes, open mouthed and completely caught off guard. Then suddenly, the tell tale signs of anger were gone, and Naruto was staring up at an Uchiha smirking full force.

"Gotcha Na-ru-to." The Uchiha said slowly, something started rubbing against Naruto's crotch. He could only assume was the Teme's knee because both his hands were holding his upper body up. Sasuke leaned down and gave his lover a long, tongue filled kiss all while he continued to massage the blonde's crotch. Once Naruto broke the kiss, Naruto started gasping for air, he had forgotten to breath.

"What, is up, with, you, today huh, Teme?" Naruto asked between gasps for breath. Sasuke just smiled, leaning down for another kiss, laying his body slowly over Naruto's and lowering one of his hands to the band of the blonde's orange pants.

"Nothing." Sasuke muttered after he broke the kiss, then he stood up and held out a hand for Naruto to take. Naruto looked up at him confused, first his lover wanted to punch him, then he wanted to kiss him and now Sasuke was acting as if none of it had ever happened. "Come on Naruto, we don't have all day." Sasuke muttered, the stoic expression on his face confusing the blonde even more. Finally deciding that Sasuke could be in whatever mood he wanted, Naruto grabbed the pale hand and hoisted himself up. Naruto let go of Sasuke's hand to dust his ass off as they walked, turning a corner onto another street. When Naruto slowed Sasuke continued to walk, leaving the blonde behind. As soon as Naruto looked up he saw Sasuke's ass sauntering off into the small front yard of a home and he ran to catch up with him.

"Oi, Teme! Wait for me!" Naruto called out, he stumbled around the corner and stopped, realizing that the Uchiha had stopped just off of the porch. "Sasuke?" The blonde called out tentatively. When his lover didn't respond Naruto walked up to the other, standing beside him quietly.

"This was my home." Sasuke muttered. Naruto turned to look at Sasuke, concern written all over his face. They stood there for a few more minutes then Naruto broke the silence.

"Do you want to go in?" Naruto asked, Sasuke didn't respond at first, finally he shook his head, a negative. Turning to face the house again, Naruto waited for Sasuke to be ready to move on. It was three minutes before he was, it felt like eternity but Naruto patiently waited. Finally, Sasuke lowered his head and started to turn around, Naruto followed suit, watching with care. Pale fingers flexed momentarily and Naruto reacted instinctively, he slipped his hand into Sasuke's a feeling of sense of completion coursing through his veins.

The Uchiha took the first step, Naruto falling in step with him quickly back out of the yard into the street. Both quiet, quieter than both would have liked and yet there didn't seem to be anything to say. They walked for a few minutes, fingers intertwined and hands swaying back and forth with each step. Then, Sasuke stopped, Naruto coming to a halt and looking where Sasuke was looking. Staring at a one story house that seemed to stretch forever Naruto blinked then looked to Sasuke.

"I used to like coming over here when I was younger, it was my grandparents' house." Sasuke quietly said. He was looking at the house, a look of nostalgia on his face; it warmed Naruto's heart that he was able to read that expression. It was one he had rarely seen or had even been able to discern from a blank mask that his boyfriend put up. "It was built in the western style, a huge one story house. There's not even a pond garden in the middle like the rest of the houses in the compound." Sasuke motioned to the house with his free hand. "My dad hated how progressive my mom's parent's were so we never came often…but when my dad was spending his nights in the police station on an investigation, mom would take us here, when I begged." Sasuke trailed off, lost in memories.

"Well," Naruto grinned and started heading for the front door. "Let's go check it out, if you didn't get to spend time here as a kid we can let our child spend his or her entire childhood here." Naruto grinned and pulled Sasuke with him. Sasuke let Naruto drag him to the front and then he was walking with the blonde, the mask of indifference gone, replaced with a smile. He was right with Naruto when he reached the door, the blonde tried the door but it was locked.

Laughing, Sasuke let go of Naruto's hand and stepped down from the porch, he lifted up the first step of the porch and pulled a key taped on the bottom of it. He showed it to Naruto and replaced the step back. Coming up, Sasuke unlocked the door, Naruto's arms wrapped around his waist and chin on his shoulder. Once the door was open, the two walked in together, step by step since Naruto still had a grip on Sasuke's waist. Immediately, Naruto was overtaken by the sneezes and he let go of Sasuke, covering his mouth and nose with the crook of his arm.

"Did I forget to mention no one has been here in the last ten years? It may be a little dusty." Sasuke smirked, watching the blonde's fit of sneezes.

"Not-" Sneeze. "-Funny." Sneeze.

"Of course not." Sasuke replied, still grinning. Once Naruto got control of his sneezing, he wiped his nose furiously, sniffing away any mucus. Sasuke waited for the blonde to be ready and they walked through the house together. Every piece of furniture was covered in a white sheet, dust covering the floor was thin, thin enough most of it flitted away as soon as their feet came near the floor. They quietly walked down a hallway, some entryways leading to larger rooms, some were closed off, the doors shut and probably locked. Naruto didn't open any of them, his curiosity would be satisfied later, right now Sasuke wanted to show him something. The blonde could feel it in every step he took in synch with the Teme.

Sasuke stopped in the middle of the hallway, both turned to face a door and Sasuke slowly opened it. Walking in, Naruto examined the room, it was a large bedroom, and a single bed in the middle, a rectangle hidden by white cloth Naruto could only assume was a dresser. There was a window, no curtains a small light fixture on the ceiling that was turned off. While Naruto explored the bare room Sasuke lifted the sheet and tossed it off the bed, leaving another white sheet, Naruto turned to watch Sasuke fold the sheet over itself and shove it into a corner.

"Who puts two sheets over furniture?" Naruto asked, Sasuke smiled and sat on the bed, patting the seat next to him. The blonde smiled and collapsed on the bed bouncing the squeaky box springs, Sasuke turned to look at him, smiling softly.

"My grandmother didn't like things to be dirty, I guess she felt that using two sheets would make it look cleaner." Sasuke stated. Naruto smiled and reached out, gripped Sasuke's shirt and pulled him down.

"What room was this?" Naruto asked, he flipped onto his side and wrapped an arm around Sasuke's waist, nuzzling the Uchiha's cheek softly.

"This was the guest bedroom, I stayed here when I got to sleepover." Sasuke muttered, staring at the ceiling; that expression of nostalgia back.

"The great Sasuke Uchiha as a little boy slept on this bed." Naruto raised his other hand up to reach for the ceiling as Sasuke swatted it down, grinning madly. He rolled on top of Naruto, the blonde's arms wrapping around Sasuke's waist to keep him from rolling off.

"That's right Dobe, with no big, bad, blonde to keep me awake all night long, I got pretty lonely, just me and my dreams." Sasuke muttered, leaning down to kiss Naruto. Naruto broke the kiss with a chuckle, his fingers slipping down to the curvature of Sasuke's ass. Sasuke let out a moan when the blonde squeezed his ass; he thrust his hips down and set his lips over Naruto's again. Running his tongue over Naruto's lips, he was granted not access to the blonde's mouth but to the pink muscle that quickly pushed into Sasuke's mouth. Allowing the blonde to dominate the kiss, Sasuke moved his hands underneath himself to work at the zipper of orange pants quickly. Breaking the kiss for air, Sasuke lowered his head to the blonde's shoulder, raising himself onto his elbows and knees, his fingers finally undoing the zipper and button.

"Mmh, I'll keep you up all night every night, if it'll make you happy, Teme." Naruto panted heavily, his hands running back up Sasuke's body, catching the dark blue short-sleeved t-shirt's hem and pulling it up.

"I would fucking love that." Sasuke moaned when those fingers reached his nipples, pinching and tweaking them roughly. "Fucking, love, that." Sasuke repeated as he smirked, yanking the front part of Naruto's pants down, noticing the blond wasn't wearing underwear. "My, my, my," Sasuke licked his lips and continued to try pulling the orange pants down further. "Aren't you prepared and ready to go?" Naruto waggled his eyebrows and lifted his hips.

Naruto excitedly lowered his hands to Sasuke's pants and pulled them down as well, revealing a growing erection. Sasuke pulled Naruto's pants off his ass and leaned down for another feverish kiss. Both men moaned into the kiss, simultaneously both of their hands wrapped around the others erection, pumping each other to hardness. Sasuke quickly lowered himself down again, his grasp opening up to hold his own erection along with the blonde's.

"Nnh!" Naruto's muffled cry escaped through the kiss, eyes squeezing tight as he shivered in pleasure. Sasuke broke the kiss; breathing heavily he thrust against Naruto again, making the blonde groan and jerk.

"Fuck, now." Sasuke gasped, he slid off of Naruto who lifted himself up onto his knees. Naruto grasped Sasuke's ass and massaged the pale globes, he pulled at them a few times and the Uchiha got the message, he got on his hands and knees, pushing his ass back into Naruto's hands.

"Shit!" Naruto cursed. He leaned over, one hand reaching for Sasuke's erection to pump it quickly. "Teme, I didn't bring lube." Naruto grunted, he thrust his erection in the crease of Sasuke's ass, moaning in Sasuke's ear.

"Use your spit, fuck the pain, just fuck me." Sasuke grunted, pushing his ass back into Naruto again. Straightening up, Naruto opened his palm and spit in it, he pulled his erection out of Sasuke's ass crease and rubbed it down with the bodily fluid.

Once he finished that, he made sure his fingers were slick before thumbing Sasuke's entrance, pre-stretching it. Sasuke growled, turned his head to glare at the blonde and was about to tell him off but Naruto slid his whole pointer finger inside him. Naruto pumped his finger once, twice and a third time before sliding in his middle finger along with it. Sasuke was quiet but far from satisfied, he thrust his ass back again, a low moan slipping out of the Uchiha's mouth. After a few more pumps Naruto added a third finger, stretching as quickly as he could without purposefully hurting his lover.

"Naruto!" Sasuke barked. He turned his head around again, glaring angrily. "Stop screwing around and just do me already!" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise at Sasuke's outburst, he had always gotten berated for preparing the Teme in the middle of a quickie but never had he been yelled at for it. It pissed the blonde off.

"Sasuke, what the hell?" Naruto screamed, he tore his fingers out, positioning his cock at Sasuke's entrance. "You've been acting weird since we walked in here! I'm trying to make it feel good for you and you fucking yell at me?" Pushing in, Naruto gripped Sasuke's waist and thrust himself entirely inside.

"Hinngh!" Sasuke cried out through clenched teeth, squeezing his eyes shut he pulled at the white sheet on top of the bed, grasping a huge chunk of the sheet in his fists.

"There? Is that what you want?" Naruto growled, he slowly pulled out and roughly thrust back in again. Sasuke grunted, opening his eyes he let go of sheets and turned the upper half of his body around. He used his hand to grasp Naruto's neck and pulled the blonde down for a kiss.

Sasuke's mouth was practically devoured by the blonde. Tense obsidian eyes staring into angry blue ones, a small ring of red surrounding the iris. At first Sasuke didn't notice it, caught up in the intensity of the kiss as Naruto was nipping and biting his lips in an almost animalistic fashion. As soon as Sasuke did notice it, Naruto broke the kiss and pushed Sasuke's head down, the Uchiha could feel Naruto's teeth biting into his neck as the blonde picked up his pace. The pain in his ass was irritating, but he could deal with it, it was the pain in his neck that he was having serious issues with. Naruto was biting so close to one of Sasuke's major arteries he was holding himself back from bucking the blonde off of him.

"Haah!" Sasuke gasped out, he raised his hand up to grip the blonde's hair and tried to pull said male from his neck. It was all too much, the pleasure overtaking pain in his rear, the teeth in his neck so close to tearing out one of his main arteries. At this rate he wouldn't last another minute.

"D-Dobe," Sasuke called out. "Slow down, at this rate I'm gonna-" Sasuke stopped mid-sentence, biting his lip and squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to stave off the eminent. Seemingly, Naruto snapped out of whatever trance he had fallen into and he released the pale neck in his mouth. He stopped thrusting; bringing a hand up to cup Sasuke's hand that was gripping his hair tightly. Sasuke slowly released the blonde's hair and allowed Naruto to pull his hand down. Sasuke was surprised when the back of his hand met Naruto's lips; he looked back and saw Naruto sorrowfully looking back at him, the ring of red gone. Realizing that Naruto was sorry for doing what Sasuke asked him to, Sasuke rolled his eyes and pulled his hand from the blonde's grip.

"Don't be sorry, Dobe, I asked for it." Sasuke smirked, using his now free hand to pull at Naruto's shirt to bring the blonde down for a kiss. It was chaste, Naruto breaking the kiss not long after Sasuke initiated it.

"Yeah but that doesn't mean I should give it to you." Naruto responded quietly, he leaned down closer to Sasuke, pressing his chest against Sasuke's pale back and gave one slow, languid thrust. Dropping Naruto's shirt, he turned back around, hands firmly planted on the bed, eyes closing as pure pleasure raced through his veins. There still was some amount of pain but all he could feel was a coil of pleasure wrapping tighter and tighter around his insides. Moaning his contentment, Sasuke thrust back, urging Naruto to move faster. Naruto did, wrapping an arm around his lover's waist and starting to move faster. Grunting, Naruto reattached his lips to a different spot on Sasuke's neck sucking gently to add to the pleasure.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called out, he lifted one of his hands up to grasp at the one that firmly held him up, that coil inside of him squeezing so tightly Sasuke knew he was close to his release. He felt Naruto's mouth release his neck, nuzzling Sasuke's shoulder instead.

"Fuck, Sasuke." Naruto grunted, he started to move faster, giving away the fact that he also was close to cumming. The actions caused Sasuke to moan, the pleasure growing even greater and greater until he could barely keep it contained.

"Naruto!" The Uchiha cried out again as he came, his hand that had been holding tight to the sheets released them and he lurched forwards. He would have fallen onto the bed but Naruto still had a tight grip on his waist, instead his head fell forward, Naruto still thrust into him a few more times before he too came. Naruto's grip loosened and Sasuke collapsed on the bed, Naruto's softening length falling out and making Sasuke wince. He rolled over quickly and avoided being squished because the blonde fell where he had lain not seconds before. With an 'oomph' Naruto settled on the bed, pants still open, breathing heavily and Sasuke was in no better shape. Both males took a moment, catching their breath before pulling up and zipping their pants back up.

Once Sasuke recovered, his gaze turned from the ceiling to the blonde next to him, finding the blonde already watching him. "That was great, that was great." Sasuke said once, then repeated. Tentatively smiling Sasuke watched as Naruto smiled back. "That was great." Sasuke said a third time, his eyes twitching in something that Naruto had never seen before. "That," Sasuke's eyes closed, the muscles in his lips twitched outwards. "Was great." Sasuke finished then broke, tears streamed down his face as he began to cry.

Immediately, Naruto's eyes widened in concern and he reached out and pulled the dark haired male closer to him. "Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong Teme?" Naruto asked, feeling Sasuke latch onto his shirt, legs entangling with Naruto's. Sasuke began to sob, his whole body shuddering in Naruto's arms. Immediately, Naruto pulled them both up into a sitting position, Sasuke clinging to him tightly. "It's alright Sasuke, let it all out. I'm here, so just let everything go." Naruto patted Sasuke's back, shifting and pulling Sasuke onto his lap.

Continuing to cry Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck, his legs dangling off of Naruto's lap as he bawled his eyes out. Naruto continued to pat Sasuke's back, turning his head to kiss the spot behind his lover's ear. After a few long moments, the sobs decreased to simple crying and then sniffles. Sasuke rubbed his face into his lover's muscular chest, taking a deep breath before lifting his head up.

"There, see? Much better now that you've had a good cry right?" Naruto asked. Sasuke looked up at the blonde to see a soft smile, and then looked away, a blush forming on his tear soaked cheeks.

"Tch, whatever, Dobe." Sasuke muttered; he readjusted himself, holding on tighter, burying his face in the crook of Naruto's shoulder. Naruto's smile widened and he continued to rub Sasuke's back, waiting for the Uchiha to feel ready.

"So what is up with you, Sasuke, I know it's partly the baby causing mood swings, but that can't be all." Naruto felt Sasuke's grip tighten the slightest fraction, unhappy that Naruto had caught him in the lie and anxious to actually talk about his feelings. "And don't blame it on the chuunin exams, I know you aren't worried about it." Sasuke sighed.

"Coming here, the idea of living where people I used to know lived…" Sasuke trailed off, thinking. "I feel like if we live anywhere other than my home we'll be trespassing but I can't stand the thought of going back and living there." Naruto listened then raised his hands up to push Sasuke off by his shoulder. Sasuke leaned back, watching Naruto's expression as he roughly wiped away his tears with the back of his palm. Grinning, Naruto leaned over and kissed Sasuke gently, sucking on his lower lip gently. Closing his eyes, Sasuke let Naruto kiss him, hand clinging to the baggy cloth of the blonde's black shirt.

"How long have you been thinking about moving in?" Naruto asked when he broke the kiss, opening his eyes Sasuke thought briefly before answering.

"A few hours before I mentioned it to you, I walked by one of the blocked off entrances and it just suddenly occurred to me." Sasuke shifted, moving one of his legs to the other side so that he straddled the blonde. Watching Sasuke move, Naruto lifted his head, keeping his eyes trained on Sasuke's.

"Then we won't move in just yet." Naruto stated. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "You haven't had enough time to think about it, the idea is still fresh in your mind and foreign. Take your time, think about it, Teme. We've got a few months." Naruto smiled up at Sasuke who stared at him for a second then gave the blonde a small smile back.

Leaning down, Sasuke gave his blonde a slow, sensual kiss; he wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck again and closed his eyes, happy. Chuckling into the kiss, Naruto took control; he leaned forward and pushed Sasuke back down onto the bed. Breaking the kiss Sasuke took a deep breath, rolling over to the side so Naruto would fall back onto the bed since Sasuke still had his legs wrapped around the blonde's waist. As soon as Naruto was back on the bed Sasuke untangled himself and got off the bed, standing up and stretching.

"Come on Dobe, we can't spend all day here. Lets head back to the apartment and get some dinner, I've got the chuunin exam tomorrow." Sasuke told the blonde. Groaning in discontent, Naruto rolled off the bed, his feet finding purchase on the floor easily.

"But Sasuke, there are so many rooms in this house we haven't been in yet." Whining, Naruto followed Sasuke out the door, shutting it behind him. Sasuke leaned back and took Naruto hand, dragging him back down the hallway.

"You'll have plenty of time to fuck me in all these rooms later, Dobe." Sasuke calmly replied, he turned around smirking, which made Naruto light up in delight.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Naruto asked as they walked outside, the blonde closing the door behind them. Sasuke stopped, turning to look at the house, then Naruto who was beside him.

"You'll just have to wait Dobe, you did say 'we've got a few months'." Sasuke teased the blonde. Naruto let out a groan but continued to smile happily. Pulling the Uchiha close Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist, resting his chin on his lover's shoulder.

"I lied, Teme, you've got twenty-four hours." Naruto joked, lifting Sasuke up by his waist and turning around before letting go. Sasuke swatted at him playfully before walking back to the street, Naruto's hand in his.

"Bullshit." Sasuke muttered. Tilting his head to the side, he waited for Naruto to kiss it. "I'll take as long as I want." Naruto grinned and kissed the offered cheek.

"I'll let you take as long as you want on one condition." Naruto told the Uchiha as they walked down the street.

"And what condition is that, Usuratonkachi?" Sasuke asked, playing along with his lover.

"I take you out to Ichiraku's tonight." Naruto watched Sasuke's expression go stoic, hiding what he was really thinking. Naruto leaned in closer, taking a good look at his Uchiha's expression. He could just barely make out the tiniest upturn of Sasuke's lips and that gave it away, Sasuke was just messing with him. Nudging his lover, Naruto gave the male a knowing look.

"Fine." Sasuke muttered exasperatedly. Naruto grinned and fist pumped the air with his free hand. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke grinned and let the blonde pull him down to the end of the street. Naruto started to walk down one of the streets and Sasuke couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Dobe, you're going the wrong way." Sasuke chuckled, Naruto turned back, confused. "The way out of the compound is that way." Sasuke pointed to the other way down the street. Naruto's mouth dropped, then he picked it up and laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Um, yeah I knew that." Naruto muttered, he pulled Sasuke around and excitedly led him down the street.

"Dobe." Sasuke muttered, unable to stop himself. Naruto looked back, grinning happily.

"Teme." Naruto responded, he reached out and pulled Sasuke into another kiss, gently biting down on Sasuke's upper lip. "I love you." The blonde muttered when Sasuke pulled his lip out of Naruto's mouth. Lowering his eyelids seductively, Sasuke licked his lips.

"Keep saying things like that and we might just have to do it on every street in the compound too." Sasuke murmured. Naruto knew the Teme wouldn't back down from a challenge so he mischievously pulled Sasuke closer, squeezing his lover's ass suggestively.

"Sasuke, I knew the anbu were watching us when you were on probation but I didn't know you really were an exhibitionist." Naruto let out a laugh when Sasuke wrinkled his nose in disgust; the thought of someone seeing him in a fit of passion was an immediate turn off.

"Usuratonkachi." Sasuke growled, the seductive look completely gone as they reached the gate, his stoic mask back in place.


	5. First Exam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original character with a minor role in the plot ahead! Continue reading at your own risk. I told myself I would never write in an OC but unfortunately, it happened.

**June 21st, the sixth week**

The alarm clocked blared right on time, rousing Sasuke from his sleep. Sighing, Sasuke shifted, arm reaching up to turn the loud obnoxious thing off. Turning over onto his other side, the Uchiha snuggled into his human teddy bears naked chest. Said teddy bear wrapped an arm around Sasuke's waist, pulling him closer, their bodies touching in several places. Stretching out, the human cuddle buddy held onto Sasuke's waist tighter.

"Mmn, Sasuke." Naruto whined. He nuzzled his face against Sasuke cheek, irritating him. "Let's not get up today." Sasuke opened his eyes and pried tan hands from his waist.

"Dobe," Sasuke calmly spoke, as if he had been awake for hours. "The exams start today." Once the Uchiha had escaped from Naruto's grip, he got off the bed and went straight to the bathroom. Naruto watched him go, heard Sasuke pull down his pants and started to use the toilet. When he was done, Naruto listened to the toilet flush, then the sink beginning to run. When Sasuke came out, he was wiping his hands dry by the legs of his pants.

"You know I think you're body got weeks mixed up." Naruto said, grinning happily he spread out on the bed, bones cracking against each other. Sasuke glanced over at him before walking past the bed towards the kitchen. "'Cause last week you were supposed to be peeing a whole lot and this week you're supposed to be a psycho with emotions but last week you got all emotional and this week you're peeing every five minutes." Naruto grinned and watched Sasuke walk past, ass swaying back and forth in a naturally seductive gait. He didn't see the bird Sasuke was flipping him until Sasuke turned around, giving the blonde that knowing look.

"Dobe." Sasuke said, grinning. Naruto's grin widened, and he sat up, moving to get off the bed.

"Can't help it, Teme, you're ass is just so sexy." Naruto replied. He followed Sasuke into their small kitchen; took a seat at the table and watched as Sasuke pulled out a pan, butter, bread and eggs.

"Hn, we did it last night, Dobe. You're out of luck if you think we're going to do it again." Sasuke set the pan on the stove, turned on the gas and left it alone to heat up, spending the next few minutes buttering the bread.

"Mmh, we can always do a quickie." Naruto said suggestively. He grinned when Sasuke didn't turn around, he didn't give the blonde anything. Getting up, the blonde walked over and wrapped his arms around the Uchiha's waist. Letting the blonde hug him, Sasuke went on about making breakfast, he slipped the pieces of bread into the pan, watching them sizzle. Kissing Sasuke's neck, Naruto ran his hands down Sasuke's waist, smoothing out rumpled fabric of boxers with the Uchiha's fan symbol all over it.

"I said no, Naruto." Sasuke repeated, he shifted but didn't stop the blonde from running those tan hands over his body. Instead he grabbed a spatula and flipped the bread, the topside now golden brown. Sasuke sighed; Naruto's kisses became hickey sucking, the blonde's talented mouth pulling at his pale skin. Tan hands slid up underneath the shirt Sasuke had stolen from Naruto the night before, tweaking the Uchiha's nipples gently. Letting out a moan, Sasuke moved the browning bread again then bucked his hips backwards into Naruto. "Go get plates." Sasuke muttered, when Naruto only lowered his hands to Sasuke's crotch again Sasuke used his free hand to whack the side of Naruto's head. The blonde realized only to late that Sasuke moved to hit him and received the blow full force.

"Ow!" Naruto called out, he released Sasuke to hold his head where Sasuke had struck him.

"I said get the plates, Dobe." Sasuke said again, not even feeling sorry for his lover's slow reaction time. He heard Naruto shuffle off to the side and open a cabinet door, pulling out two plates. He placed both of them on the counter and then wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist again. "Thank you." Sasuke muttered. Naruto kissed Sasuke's cheek but didn't say anything as the Uchiha slid the toast onto both plates with practiced ease. Reaching over for the eggs he whacked them against the pans edge and pulled it apart over the hot pan. Tossing the eggshell into the nearby trashcan, Sasuke picked up the second egg and gave it the same treatment. Naruto watched silently as the eggs cooked, both enjoying the silence.

"A whole five days without you, I might not survive." Naruto whispered with a grin on his lips. Sasuke rolled his eyes and tended to the eggs, checking the edges to see how fast they were cooking.

"You just might starve to death." The sarcasm rolled off Sasuke's tongue easily and Naruto chuckled.

"Mhm, starve from a lack of touching, kissing and loving you." Naruto turned his head to kiss Sasuke neck again, working his way up to the Uchiha's jaw in kisses. Tilting his head back to give the blonde more access he set his hands on the counter, the spatula still in his hand. "You think I can sneak in during the second exam and get a quickie?" Whispering into Sasuke's ear, Naruto watched as his lover smiled and chuckled. "What about a blow job, Teme, I'll take a hand job or even just a make-out session if it means I can be with you." Naruto smiled when Sasuke leaned back into him and let his headrest on his shoulder.

"You'd get me disqualified, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke softly sighed. He checked the eggs again and stood straighter, sliding the spatula under one of the over easy cooked eggs and slid it onto one of the plates. Grabbing the second egg and setting it on the plate he turned off the fire of the stove, setting the spatula in the cooling pan.

"Ah! I'll just have to wait until you come back, then I'll have a whole month with you to do all the weird and kinky things." Sasuke rolled his eyes and picked up both of the plates, holding one back for the blonde to take.

"Table, now." Sasuke ignored the blondes comment and the two broke away, Naruto quickly finding his seat at the table, picked up his fork and engorged himself on the egg and toast. Sasuke was slower, sliding into his seat before picking up his toast and biting into it.

"So are you nervous, Teme?" Naruto asked through a mouth full of egg and toast in one hand. "About taking the Chuunin exam again." Sasuke looked up, still working on his first piece of toast. Naruto stopped inhaling the food and watched his lover think.

"I'm worried about going in with the baby, if I make the wrong move at the wrong time, it would be over." Sasuke muttered. He took a larger bite out of the toast and chewed it thoughtfully. Naruto frowned for a minute and then relaxed and swallowed a mouthful of food.

"You won't let it happen, no one knows and one of the last places they would go for would be your abdomen. Just don't die on me, I'll never forgive you if you do that." Naruto said before stuffing his mouth with the rest of his toast and egg.

Smiling at the blonde Sasuke finished his toast and started on the egg, savoring the yoke as it oozed out of the white. "I thought we went over this Dobe, I'm not going to get myself killed." Naruto grinned at his Uchiha after swallowing his food. The blonde stood up and took his dirty dish to the sink to wash them. Sasuke followed soon after, he dropped his dish into the sink and turned around. Surprised, Naruto watched his lover walk away, not knowing where Sasuke was going.

"Bathroom." Sasuke answered the unasked question, sauntering off without looking back. Grinning, Naruto turned back to the sink and started washing both of the dishes.

"We didn't even have anything to drink yet." Naruto called out, he turned his head to watch Sasuke walk away, chuckling when he saw the dark haired male flipping him the bird again.

"Fuck you." Sasuke replied. He disappeared into the bathroom and Naruto returned to washing the dishes.

"I thought you said no!" Naruto yelled. If Sasuke had a response Naruto didn't hear it over the sound of the water running and the clinking of plates. "He's really is pregnant." Naruto murmured to himself. With no Uchiha to distract him he finished the dishes quickly and grabbed a towel to dry them. Naruto heard the toilet flush and the sink run before he saw Sasuke again; the other male was coming towards him intently. Setting the dishes down Naruto watched as Sasuke came close and slipped his arms around the blonde's waist. Looking up into his lover's blue eyes he gave a small smile.

"I did say no." Sasuke murmured, he leaned up and gave Naruto a chaste kiss and before the blonde could deepen it he broke it off and slipped away. "And it's still no." Sasuke smirked as he walked away, hearing the disappointed moan coming from the other. Naruto followed Sasuke to the side of the bed and collapsed on it as Sasuke opened dresser drawers and pulled out clothes, including two pairs of boxers. One had ramen noodle bowls on them and the other was covered in Uchiha clan fans. Picking up the pair with ramen bowls Naruto stood up to pull his pants down.

"Stop." Sasuke called, glancing at Naruto before turning back to pull out shirts and pants. Naruto did as he was told, the boxers still in his hand. Closing the dresser drawers Sasuke tore the boxers from Naruto's hand and tossed them back on the bed.

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise. Watching Sasuke pick up the Uchiha fan boxers and handed them to the blonde. Still not knowing what was going on Naruto held the boxers up and examined them closely. When realization dawned on him, the blonde lit up excitedly. "You're going to wear-" Sasuke grunted and gave the blonde a stern look, stopping the blonde from finishing his sentence.

"Say anything and I'll kill you, Dobe." Sasuke muttered. Standing up Sasuke pulled down his own pants, Naruto doing the same. Knowing that the blonde was watching him put on the ramen bowl boxers, Sasuke let his hands linger on the waistband of the boxers and let his fingers trail up his abdomen and chest. A short intake of breath was all Sasuke needed to hear to know the blonde was getting excited. Bending down, Sasuke pulled open the drawer full of pants, as he was picking up both pairs he felt Naruto's fingers wrap around his waist and pull him upwards.

He could barely keep a grin from forming on his face as the blonde gently lifted him up and setting him down on the bed, his legs dangling over the edge. Naruto leaned down and tilted his head and kissed the Uchiha softly. Bringing his hand up to Naruto's neck, he lifted his head to make it easier for the blonde to suck on his lips and felt the blonde push him down onto the bed. Hands found their way up Sasuke's pale body to his chest, the pads of his fingers rubbing against the Uchiha's hardening nipples.

Sighing into the kiss, Sasuke wrapped his legs around Naruto's waist and brought him down until the blonde's body was resting lightly over Sasuke's. In order to keep his balance and from letting his full weight onto Sasuke, Naruto placed both his hands next to the Uchiha's head. Breaking the kiss, Naruto nuzzled the Uchiha's cheek, kissing his neck softly. Letting the blonde do what he wanted Sasuke closed his eyes and let his back arch upwards into those warm, welcoming hands.

"Is it still a no?" Naruto whispered. He carefully pinched and pulled Sasuke's nipples, listening to his lover moan quietly.

"We don't have enough time for a quickie." Sasuke murmured, he lifted his hips and ground their lower bodies together. Moaning softly, Naruto lightly bit down on the skin of Sasuke's neck. "You better not leave any marks, Dobe."

"Hehe, I won't," Naruto laughed softly. "How about a sixty-niner? It's quick, you won't have any marks in visible places and I love your talented mouth." Naruto waited for the hand on his neck to grab his hair and pull him off of Sasuke but it never did. Instead the hand came down to Naruto's chin and lifted it so the blonde was looking at Sasuke.

"Why are your only good ideas related to sex?" Sasuke asked before lifting his head and kissing the blonde deeply. Smiling into the kiss, Naruto let his hands trail down to the Uchiha's waist and slipped his thumbs over his boxers that the Uchiha was wearing.

"Because," Naruto murmured when he broke the kiss and sat up to remove Sasuke's legs from his waist. "That's the thing I spend the second most amount of time thinking about." Sasuke watched as the blonde pulled off the ramen boxers, then got on his knees to take off the Uchiha fan ones.

"What's the thing you think about most?" Sasuke smiled gently when the blonde tossed both pairs of boxers off the bed and leaned back down, his hand rubbing against the Uchiha's growing erection.

"You, of course." Naruto answered, grinning when Sasuke rolled his eyes and leaned down for a kiss, which Sasuke gave willingly. "So is that a yes?" The blonde asked against Sasuke's lips. Letting out a moan Sasuke lifted his hips to grind against the hand on his crotch.

"Yes, quickly, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke muttered before deepening the kiss. He pressed his tongue against Naruto's lips and entered the blonde's mouth when said blonde opened his lips to him. Their tongues danced in Naruto's mouth, battling for dominance, which Sasuke was quickly giving up in. Moaning, Sasuke lowered his hands to Naruto's erection, fisting it roughly. Naruto jerked upwards in surprise, letting out a cry of surprise.

"Ah! Not so hard Teme! I've got to use that you know." Naruto exclaimed, he glared softly at the Uchiha below him and tightened his grip on the pale limb in his grasp in warning. Smirking Sasuke sat up, pushing the blonde up into a sitting position.

"Did I hurt you?" Sasuke asked almost mockingly. "Let me take care of that then." Naruto watched as Sasuke put his hand on the blonde's tan shoulder and slowly pushed him down onto his back. Naruto watched as Sasuke turned around and maneuvered so that his erection was dangling in front of Naruto's face. The blonde could feel hands on his own erection, gently massaging the hardening limb before kissing the tip gently. Feeling the moist sensation of the Uchiha's lips on his head, Naruto couldn't help but tense up, trying not to jerk his hips up. Sasuke must have seen his muscles tensing because he slid his lips down the side of Naruto's cock, driving the blonde crazy.

"Mmh!" Naruto brought his hand to his mouth and bit down on his thumb to stop himself from crying out at the light touches. Sasuke smirked and thumbed the slit as he took the base of Naruto's length and wrapped his lips around what he could and sucked softly. "Ah!" Naruto couldn't help but cry out. His body jerked upwards and he gripped the Uchiha's pale leg tightly with his free hand. "Sasuke!" The blonde called out. Sasuke stopped sucking and let go with a slick 'pop' sound.

"Who was the one who asked if we could sixty-nine, Dobe?" The dark haired male asked, he looked up and wrapped his fingers around Naruto's length, gently fisting it. "Now you expect me to do all the work?" At this Naruto frowned and lifted his head.

"Lay down and I'll do all the work, you'll see, Teme." Naruto grunted. He set his hands on Sasuke's ass cheeks, pressing down on them to make his lover move. Doing as the blonde wanted, Sasuke let his hips rest so his length slapped against Naruto's cheek. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Naruto gripped the base of Sasuke's cock and moved the tip of it to his mouth before taking the whole head of it into his mouth and sucking on it heartedly. Sighing happily, Sasuke got back to the limb in his grasp, wrapping his mouth around the other side of Naruto's erection, grazing his teeth lightly across the swollen flesh.

Shivers raced up Naruto's spine and he moaned, sending vibrations through Sasuke's length, making him moan simultaneously. Not wanting to be outdone by the blonde Sasuke lifted his head and slipped the whole head of Naruto's length. Feeling the Uchiha picking up his pace Naruto did the same, seeing it as a challenge. Both men let out another round of moans and slipped each other's lengths farther into their mouths. Feeling as if Sasuke was going to get the upper hand at any moment Naruto moved quickly, taking his finger he slid into his mouth, rubbing it against the length in his mouth. Once he was sure it was wet, he took it out and reached up to the Uchiha's ass crack. At first, Sasuke didn't know what the blonde was doing but it became clear once that finger rimmed the Uchiha's ass hole. Grunting, Sasuke lifted his hips in attempt to make the blonde stop but it seemed only to encourage him.

The blonde slid his finger inside Sasuke's entrance, wiggling it back and forth to make Sasuke moan as he continued to suck on the limb in his mouth. Jerking his hips upwards, Sasuke tried to get the finger out without pulling his length from Naruto's mouth. It wasn't working. Instead, Naruto gripped Sasuke's moving hips and lifted his head, bobbing back and forth as he pushed his finger deeper. The blonde couldn't help but smile at the moan that came from his ministrations, Sasuke wiggling his hips even more.

Not wanting to be the one to cum first, Sasuke opened his mouth wider and took in all of the blonde's erection, deep throating him. Surprised, Naruto let out a choked scream, jerking his hips upwards into that warm, moist cavern. Both males could feel the pleasure travelling up their spines and their orgasms coming closer and closer. Time seemed to slow down as they pleasured each other. Sasuke was continuously deep throating and Naruto had three fingers inside of Sasuke and was pumping them vigorously. Jerking his hips upwards before pushing them back down again, Sasuke moaned loudly, he wasn't going to last much longer and didn't want to surprise the blonde beneath him.

Humming tunelessly, Naruto gripped Sasuke's hip with his free hand and flipped over him so that he was kneeling above the Uchiha. Fisting the base of Sasuke's erection, Naruto felt his lover tense below him and choke a little in an attempt to cry out just before he came. Liquid spurted into Naruto's mouth and he swallowed it, grinning in satisfaction, knowing that he had 'won' the competition. Giving the limb in his mouth a hard suck, he felt the man beneath him spasm and jerk his hips. Moaning, Naruto released the softening length from his mouth and looked back to see how the Uchiha was fairing. Still deep throating the blonde's erection, Sasuke was clenching his eyes shut, a red blush spread across his face. Naruto watched as the dark haired male for a few seconds longer before he rolled over, his length slipping out of Sasuke's mouth with a 'pop'.

Surprised, Sasuke opened his eyes and watched as the blonde sat down, his upper back resting against the wall and legs spread wide. He could easily see Naruto's erection and even his asshole. Sasuke sat up and gave Naruto a glare before crawling over and lying down in front of the blonde. "Not a word." Sasuke muttered, he took the hard organ in his hand and licked the underside of it, glancing up at the blonde's smiling face. Looking back down, Sasuke grunted and focused on the erection in front of him.

"Of course not." Naruto replied. Without bothering to look up, Sasuke raised his head just enough to get his mouth around the head and slipped it into his mouth, sucking on it gently. Then, he deep throated the cock, making a sound at the back of his throat that had Naruto moaning. Pale fingers slowly slid down from the blonde's thighs to his ass. Pressing his finger against the ring of muscles and rubbing against it softly to make the blonde wiggle and pant. Continuing his ministrations, Sasuke glanced up to see Naruto looking down at him, his thumb in his mouth to stop him from crying out. Sasuke hummed softly then sucked roughly, watching the blonde's reaction.

Blue eyes widened and Sasuke watched Naruto tilt his head back, his thumb falling from his lips. "Ah, fuck." Naruto groaned and rubbed the back of his head with his head. Grinning, Sasuke focused on the length in his mouth, sensing that his blonde was close. Humming again, Sasuke bobbed his head up and down, trying to make the blonde cum as quickly as he could. Naruto's hips were twitching upwards every time the Uchiha went down on him and tensed every time he came up.

"S-Sasuke," Naruto gasped out, he lowered one of his hands to Sasuke's hair and gently tugged on it. "Gonna cum." Sasuke smirked with a full mouth and sucked on the limb in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it as best he could. Tightening his grip on Sasuke's hair, Naruto let his hips jerk forward into that warm, talented and inviting mouth that belonged to his lover. Sasuke took it and hummed loudly, waiting for the blonde to cum. Tensing up completely Naruto came, crying out Sasuke's name as he ejaculated into said male's mouth. Swallowing thickly, Sasuke raised his head, letting the organ slip out of his mouth and got up on his knees.

"Happy?" Sasuke asked, giving the blonde a knowing look. Naruto grinned back, breathing heavily from his recent orgasm and leaned forward to hug the dark haired male.

"Yes, I'm really, really happy." Naruto sighed happily and tilted his head to kiss the Uchiha's lips but Sasuke frowned and placed his hand over the blonde's lips and turned away.

"Brush your teeth before you kiss me, idiot." Sasuke mumbled. Sasuke got off the bed and glanced at the blonde before disappearing into the bathroom. Sighing happily, Naruto followed him to the bathroom, finding Sasuke washing off his flaccid length while sitting on the toilet. Looking up, Sasuke nodded to the sink and continued to clean himself. Still smiling, Naruto picked up his toothbrush and the tube of toothpaste, turning to the mirror to do his business.

Once Sasuke finished cleaning himself, he looked over to Naruto who was standing butt naked and brushing his teeth and couldn't help but smile softly at his lover. Reaching over, Sasuke took the wet cloth in his hands and started to clean Naruto's length. Almost immediately Naruto reacted, he nearly jumped away at the touch but he stopped when he saw it was Sasuke's hand and a cloth. Smiling softly, Naruto returned to brushing his teeth. Sasuke finished but Naruto was still brushing his teeth, obviously prolonging finishing up.

Sasuke got up, threw the cloth in the wastebasket and picked up his own toothbrush, grabbing the half empty tube of toothpaste for himself. They brushed their teeth in silence, Naruto continuously glancing at Sasuke who ignored the looks. Naruto finished first and left the bathroom, Sasuke followed soon after. Naruto finished dressing first and made his way to the bathroom, Sasuke close behind. Both were in their normal clothes, the blonde in his black wife beater, orange pants and trademark orange jacket. Sasuke was wearing a tight fitting short-sleeved dark blue shirt and loose black pants that he tightened with his black wraps just below his knees.

"Did I mention that I love you?" Naruto asked, he turned and smiled a dazzling smile to his lover who rolled his eyes and sighed softly. "No Sasuke, I really do love you." Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shoulders and pulled him close for a searing kiss. Sasuke opened his mouth for Naruto to slip his tongue inside but the blonde refused, backing away slowly with a lip smacking sound.

"Don't kill anyone and please try to have some fun with it." Naruto whispered, smiling with an expression so filled with love Sasuke couldn't help but feel his insides start to melt. "You do know how to have fun right?" The blonde raised his eyebrows in askance, Sasuke smiled at the joke and nodded, putting his hand over one of Naruto's on his shoulder.

"Dobe," Sasuke rolled his eyes again and turned away, his hand dropping along with Naruto's to their sides. "I'll see you in five days." Opening the door the two males stepped out, Naruto shutting the door behind him while reaching out to grab the Uchiha's hand. Turning back to the blonde, Sasuke let himself be pulled into a kiss. It was slow and deep, this time Sasuke opened his mouth and Naruto slipped his tongue inside. It lasted for a more than a minute and when they broke apart both stared into each other's eyes, saying goodbye.

"Uh, you better get going, don't want to be late." Naruto blushed and looked away. Keeping his stoic expression in place, Sasuke blinked which was his equivalent of smiling in public. Sasuke watched as Naruto turned and started to walk down the stairs, looking back and blushing deeply. Without waiting for the end of the awkward goodbye, Sasuke turned around and jumped off the ledge, landing on the roof of the building next door. He was halfway there too soon for his liking and he slowed down, walking across rooftops before jumping to the next.

Before he knew it he was already at the designated building, young kids from different hidden villages walking away dejectedly. Nostalgia found it's way into Sasuke's chest; he remembered this trick from the first time he had to take the chuunin exams, when he had still been part of team seven. Deciding to skip the whole issue of walking past the young genin and explaining to them what he was doing here, he jumped onto the roof and opened the door that led to the roof and went down. He could easily see the genjutsu, it was a surprise he hadn't seen it the first time, the stairs were a different color on the landing below the one he was supposed to stop on. It had been obvious if you were looking.

Opening the door and stepping inside, Sasuke found himself under the scrutiny of at least a hundred and thirty people staring at him. Panning his eyes across the room, he evaluated every single person in the room. There were a few his eyes lingered on, the ones that looked like they would be trouble for him in the second part of the exam. Closing the door behind him, Sasuke calmly moved to an empty space between two teams before starting to eye the competition again. Everyone was suspicious of everyone else and Sasuke definitely stared down a few as he watched. None of them looked to be a challenge to Sasuke but he didn't discount anyone, everyone had their secrets and if he wasn't careful they would put him in a tight spot and then he would really have to move.

In the corner of the room to the left of where Sasuke was, was a girl that caught his attention. She had been staring at him since he entered the room, not even glancing at any newcomers who opened the door like everyone else did. Turning his eyes to stare her down he took in her appearance, red hair pulled into ponytail that disappeared behind her back. Bangs were covering her village headband from view and it made Sasuke curious. Wearing only a plain green t-shirt and tan cargo shorts she was tanned lightly and looked out of place surrounded by pale Sound genin. Her bright green eyes stared intensely back at Sasuke, her gaze never wavered and Sasuke didn't know what to think about her. She seemed calm for a genin getting ready to participate in the chuunin exams. She also didn't seem to have anyone with her; no teammates around and no one else seemed to be missing a person.

Finding the minutes to be ticking by, Sasuke found himself growing annoyed with this strange girl and turned his stare into a harsh glare that made even Naruto look away. She continued to stare at him and didn't even seem to be surprised by the change in his expression. Suddenly her gaze dropped and Sasuke didn't know for sure but he swore she was staring at his abdomen. Activating his Sharingan briefly, Sasuke took in her appearance again before releasing it and glanced around, checking to see if anyone had noticed. The red head also looked away, turning her eyes towards her feet. No one gave him a second glance and he looked back to the redhead. He had noticed she had been using some form of jutsu having to do with her eyes; they were colored differently in his enhanced vision. There had been a lot of chakra focused behind her eyes and it seemed to be that the chakra was focusing on her retinas.

Sasuke could only assume she was using it to increase her eyesight, by the way she had been looking at his stomach, she would be able to see other people's chakra flowing throughout their bodies. This jutsu, however, was inferior to the Hyuuga's byakugan probably because the jutsu allowed them to see chakra, not where the chakra flowed from. Almost immediately, Sasuke went rigid, the baby was connected to his chakra and she would have seen the abnormality; that was why she was staring. She would have been trained to know what a pregnant woman's chakra would look like and he could only assume that his chakra flow was similar enough for her to make a connection. Sasuke couldn't stop the scowl that surged past his emotionless mask and he glared at the girl so hard she looked back at him, feeling his stare.

Activating his Sharingan again he was going to put her in a mangekyou induced coma for three weeks but she didn't look back up, her cheeks starting to burn bright red. She raised her hand and ran it over her braid. Deactivating his bloodline limit again, Sasuke watched her closely, waiting for his opportunity before she told anyone. He never got the chance, not a minute later Ibiki appeared on the other side of the room in a large cloud of smoke, all the proctors standing with him. The red head even turned her head to look, her whole face on fire.

"I'm Ibiki Morino, proctor for the first test of the Chuunin Exam." Ibiki spoke loudly. He looked around; enjoying the looks of fear he was receiving from his scars and noticed Sasuke, eyes narrowing. "In the first test there will be no battles, competitions and the like. Any pig that screws with me will be disqualified immediately. Any questions?" Sasuke watched as Ibiki's eyes scanned the room, intimidating several people, out of the corner of his eye the Uchiha could see people shifting. "Take one of these number cards in exchange for your application and sit in the seat matching that number. After that, we will hand out the paper for the written test!"

Everyone moved at once, all slowly moving to the front of the room to trade their applications for a number. Sasuke tried to keep eye contact with the redhead but she wouldn't look at him, moving quickly past people until she was far ahead of him. Angry, Sasuke let people walk past him and found himself one of the last to swap his application and grab a number. Ibiki watched him walk up and then slapped his hand on the Uchiha's shoulder roughly.

"I expect you to try just like last time, Uchiha." Ibiki muttered. "You won't be able to get away like that blonde of yours did." Sasuke shrugged the hand off his shoulder and picked up the last number in the bowl a proctor was holding. Briefly glancing at his number, he knew where he was, it was the only seat that hadn't already been touched, he saw the redhead already sitting down far ahead of where Sasuke's seat was. As he walked past, her she glanced over and he glared harshly, she didn't look away until he was past her line of sight.

Taking a seat, he gave the redhead's backside one final glare, noticing that her hair was braided with a black sharply studded strap braided into her hair. It was a smart idea and she could grow her hair out as long as she wanted, he had to give that to her. Ibiki took his place in front of the desk and crossed his arms and started his speech about the rules of the test. Sasuke ignored more of it; he knew the rules already and was too caught up on making sure that girl didn't talk to anyone. He could feel the whole room still, heard the murmurs of disbelief but he never saw the girl move. She never turned her head to anyone and she didn't react to anything Ibiki said.

"Begin!" Sasuke heard Ibiki bark. Almost immediately everyone started flipping papers over. Sasuke let his gaze linger for a few more seconds before he looked down and flipped his own paper over and glanced over at the questions. They were the same questions as last time and Sasuke had the urge to roll his eyes before activating his Sharingan and writing the answers down like he had four years ago. The Sharingan was a gift and a curse; he could never forget anything he had seen with his eyes.

After about five minutes he finished and deactivated his eyes, flipping the sheet over and looking up. Several pairs of eyes turned to him when he flipped his sheet; at least two of them were proctors. Deciding to do as Naruto suggested he looked over to one and smirked at the older male, watching said man freeze up and look away. Turning to face the front again, Sasuke looked up to see Ibiki grinning madly back at him. Sasuke knew the older man was just trying to intimidate him so he diverted his eyes to the back of that girl's red head.

Seemingly sensing that he was staring at her again she shifted, raising her pencil to her neck and tapping it in a sort of rhythmic beat. At first, Sasuke was too busy trying to find away to knock her unconscious; he almost missed the familiarity of her tapping. There was a weird flow to it but it was a message, in code. Sasuke had studied it in the academy, going beyond the basics Iruka had taught in class and reading more complex versions of the code Konoha ninja used. Watching closely he memorized each movement and dissected the message, wondering how she knew the specific version that belonged to Konoha.

'-Need-to-talk' was what he caught after missing whatever she had spelled out first. Then came a bunch of babble that made no sense, he assumed she was doing it to confuse the proctors. 'Dola-co-fanwi-s-tupim'. Discarding the useless information he averted his gaze enough to look like he was staring at the wall while still being able to see the redhead's pencil tapping against her neck.

'I-am-not-your-enemy'. Was the last of it, she tapped her pencil through another round of nonsense before shifting again, bringing her hand back down from her neck. Sasuke didn't know what to think, he didn't even know what village she was from and she was claiming she wasn't an enemy. Since there was nothing he could do without catching the attention of the proctors, he decided he would wait until the second part of the exam, where he could easily do away with her if she was lying. Naruto said not to kill anyone but that didn't mean Sasuke couldn't paralyze someone and let the animals of the forest take care of the rest.

Leaning back in his chair, Sasuke looked around and watched his opponents. At first glance it looked like everyone was just taking the test but upon closer examination of everything and everyone it was easy to see several people blatantly cheating and others carefully going about their deceptions. Noticing a sand genin working on a crude trick he watched him complete it, a proctor close to the boy opened his mouth and spoke loudly. "Number one hundred and three, you fail."

"N-no way!" The genin stood up in complete disbelief. The proctor smirked.

"You've been caught five times, now you and your teammates all get out of the classroom, right now." Sasuke could hear the three chairs scraping across the floor and them leaving.

"Number thirteen, you fail."

"What?" One genin cried. "That's bullshit! I didn't cheat!" The young male cried out. Before he could continue to prove his innocence a chuunin grabbed the kid by his shirt collar and threw him into the wall.

"We don't miss you blinking your eyes, you cheated five times and now you fail." The chuunin murmured. "Out!" He barked, let the genin go and stared down the boy until the younger gave in and angrily walked out. His teammates following him dejectedly out the door. Sasuke didn't watch the team leave, the commotion had caused several different people to cheat simultaneously.

"Ninety-six, you're out." Before the door was even shut by the first team several proctors were calling out numbers that had failed the test. A wild flurry of actions happened, people getting up to leave in anger, more people using their skills to cheat and find the answers.

"Number thirty four, you fail."

"Seventy eight you've been disqualified." Through all the commotion Sasuke noticed a fake genin sitting in the row behind the redhead. He didn't glance up when people moved, just kept on writing down the answers as if nothing was happening at all. Real smooth.

Once the door slammed shut, silence resumed. Genin had stopped their movements for the time being, knowing that the proctors would be scrutinizing them closely. Sasuke glanced up at the clock, there was still another twenty-five minutes left for the genin to cheat their way into the scare of their lives, the tenth question. Not all of them knew that though. Then it hit him. That urge, the need that would only continue to grow until he felt as if he was going to explode. Sasuke had to pee. He could try holding it but he knew there would be no break in between finishing the first test to going to the second one, if he was going to go it would have to be now. Placing his hands on the desk, Sasuke stood up and caught most of everyone's attention. Staring right at Ibiki Sasuke muttered a single word.

"Bathroom." Ibiki didn't react, he just kept staring at Sasuke with a blank look on his face as a proctor stood up and made his way towards the Uchiha.

"I'll be taking you to the bathroom." The proctor muttered. Nodding in response Sasuke let the proctor lock his hands and lead him out of the room, headed for the restrooms. The proctor was a familiar chuunin who often operated one of the gates of the leaf village, bandages over his nose and stiff black hair. Neither male spoke; the older held open the bathroom door for Sasuke and walked up to the urinals with him, standing on the other side of the metal barrier separating the two.

Not wasting any time Sasuke started his business, finding the situation just a little embarrassing since he recognized the chuunin. The sound of Sasuke going to the bathroom made the situation that more awkward, other than that there was silence. Once he finished he resituated himself and moved to the sinks to wash his hands. The chuunin followed him and watched with little interest, the sound of the faucet running making the situation seem a little less awkward. Done using the restroom, Sasuke turned around and let the chuunin lead him out of the bathroom. Silently they walked back to the room, a team of Konoha genin walking out of the building and all three of them looked furious.

The chuunin opened the door of the room and walked inside, letting Sasuke follow with his hands up and ready to be taken out of his cuffs. With everyone glancing over at him it felt like he had just come back to Konoha all over again, everyone watching him and handcuffed so he wouldn't attack anyone. Sasuke wouldn't care for the situation to ever happen again. Once he was released Sasuke stalked back towards his seat and rigidly sat down, not caring for the looks most of the proctors were giving him. He could see almost half a dozen genin had left while he was gone; there were maybe seventy-five people left. Ignoring them, he crossed his arms over his chest and stilled himself. They would keep an eye on him until the end of the fifty minutes so he wouldn't be able to cheat, even though he had already finished. Sasuke watched as time passed, kids continued to cheat; some had finished and were waiting for Ibiki to ask the tenth question. The redhead seemed to finish and straightened, Sasuke could hear her put down her pencil and flip her paper over.

"Twelve, you fail." Another number was called out and another genin cursed angrily. Sasuke watched as they left, five minutes before the tenth question would be asked. Sucked to be them.

By now a large majority of the teams have been disqualified, there were only twelve people sitting ahead of him, one of them was actually a jonin, there were a lot less people finishing the first exam this year than there had been when he had taken it the first time. When the fifty minutes had finally passed Sasuke watched as Ibiki stood up and addressed the room again. Everyone had already finished the rest of the test and watched Ibiki's every move, most of them wondering what the tenth question was going to be.

"Here is the tenth question!" But first, I'm going to add some rules for the last question. These are the hopeless rules." This seemed to have the rest of the room frozen in fear again, a male in front of him started shaking. "First you must choose whether or not you will answer the tenth question." Several people in the room gasped, some started to fidget.

"What do you mean by that? We can choose not to hear the tenth question?" Someone behind Sasuke asked.

"If you choose not to take the last question, then your score will be zero. You will fail and the same goes for your entire team." Ibiki smirked, giving the room his darkest look yet. The person sitting next to Sasuke was gripping his pencil so hard it snapped in two. Looking over at him Sasuke could see the boy was shaking in fear. "There is one more rule. If you choose to take it and are unable to answer it correctly, then you will have to," Ibiki paused, letting the tension in the room rise. "Relinquish your right of being a ninja forever!" Ibiki barked. There were cries of surprise and disbelief, some people even stood up from their chairs and put their hands on the desks. Ibiki didn't back down, just continued with his ploy.

"That wasn't a rule last year, or even the year before!" A genin spoke up, anger prominent in his voice.

"I make the rules this year. But if you don't want to answer the question I did give you the option to go back." Ibiki glared at the boy who interrupted him. "For those of you who aren't confident, you can quit now. So, let's begin." Ibiki chuckled eerily before looking deadly serious again. "Anyone who will not be taking it, raise your hand!" When people realized that the scarred man wasn't joking, silence settled in the room, no one knowing what to do or what to say. Finally someone behind where Sasuke sat sighed heavily and raised his hand.

"I quit." The boy said and immediately his teammates groaned in response but didn't fight, they all left the room, dejected.

"Anyone else?" Ibiki asked, chuckling at the scared genin's faces. Several more people stood up, claimed that they were done and left the room, including the boy who sat next to Sasuke. Ibiki waited longer but no one else seemed to want to give up here. Sighing, Ibiki placed his hands on his hips and addressed the whole room again. "Congratulations, those that are still here, you've passed the test." The room was filled with sounds of surprise again. This time Sasuke couldn't help but smirk, the reaction seemed laughable now that he knew the whole point of the exam.

"What are you talking about?" One of the younger genin asked, Sasuke looked back at the people in the seats behind him. There were still about fifty people in the room, almost two thirds of the genin that had come in were gone and half of who was left would fail the second test.

"The choice you had to make was the tenth question, the rest of the questions were to test your abilities to gather information individually, and it was designed so that you had to cheat to get the answers. With that being said I had two chuunin in the group who knew all the answers from whom you could cheat off of." People started murmuring and Ibiki quietly waited for them to stop so he could finish his explanation. "Those who foolishly cheated were disqualified quickly, that's because…" Ibiki stopped mid-sentence so he could untie his headband and show the room his badly scarred head.

"Information, depending on the time and situation, will be more valuable than life. In a mission or on a battlefield, you will always have to risk your life to fight for it!" Even now the burn marks and nail punctures made Sasuke inwardly cringe, he could imagine how other people were reacting, seeing it for the first time had been a cold hard awakening. "Just remember this, to be given the wrong information can bring a catastrophic blow to your friends and village. That is why we tested you on collecting information-that is why we weeded the weaker ones out."

What about the tenth question then?" Another genin asked, Sasuke listened to Ibiki explain the tenth question, his eyes moving to the redhead again. She seemed to be watching Ibiki, listening to him like the rest of the genin.

"So when does the next part of the exam start?" Another genin asked, a girl this time. Sasuke turned around to see what he knew was coming. Just as he suspected a brown bundle broke through the window, spraying glass everywhere. The bundle opened and kunai dug into the ceiling and floor and the brown tarp expanded, hiding Ibiki from the classroom.

"Everyone! Don't start your celebrating just yet!" Anko yelled as she posed in front of everyone, the tarp revealing the words 'Second exam proctor-Anko Mitarashi!' written hastily in white paint, Anko spread her arms and grinned cheekily. "I'm the proctor for the second exam! Anko Mitarashi! Let's move onto the next stage, now!" She yelled. Her intense gave grazing over everyone's faces. It seemed the room was stunned into silence; everyone seemed frozen staring at the jonin who had made such a random and surprising entrance while Sasuke tried not to smirk at the spirited woman. Anko looked around the room, not sparing Sasuke from a smirk of her own.

"Alright! Let's move maggots!" Anko barked then turned to walk out the door, the remaining genin and Sasuke getting up to follow her without a single complaint. "Fifty three Ibiki? You seem to be losing your touch." Anko muttered to the scarred man as she passed, Sasuke just happened to be close enough to hear her.

"Each generation seems to be getting sneakier Mitarashi, we even have some older, more promising candidates with us and others with special qualifications." Ibiki responded, eyeing Sasuke before letting his dark eyes drop to someone ahead of Sasuke. Following the older man's sight he saw the red head, she was watching Ibiki and Anko talk same as him.

"Mah, I'll drop two thirds of them by the time I'm done with them." Anko flippantly said. She spoke loudly; making sure the whole room heard it. Then she opened the door and walked out, letting the genin follow her. Slowly everyone walked out of the room, crowding around the door and eyeing each other warily.

Following the older woman, Sasuke was out the door before people started to crowd around it, only a few people ahead of him, including the redhead. Once outside, Anko strutted forward, heading for the outer areas of the village towards the forty-fourth training field. Sasuke watched as the redhead slowed her pace once they were outside until she was walked side by side with him. She walked with confidence and didn't look at him once, as if it were a random happenstance that she was walking next to him.


	6. Second Exam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter holds the scene that started this entire story. I actually dreamed the short sequence, starting from 'The forest was alive around him' and ends right around 'The cold feeling of shock started to spread across his body'. How that dream snowballed into this monster of a mpreg story is beyond me, it kind of just happened.

**June 21st, still the sixth week**

The forest of death was the same as Sasuke remembered it all those years ago, nothing different with those over sized trees and chain link fence. They walked towards a tent located in a small area where all the grass had died after it had been trampled on a thousand times.

"This is training field forty-four also known as the Forest of Death." Anko yelled before anyone could ask. She pointed out to the caged forest. "The setting for the second exam!"

"Why is it called the Forest of Death?" Someone asked. Anko smirked at the kid.

"You'll soon realize why." Her cryptic response made the group of genin freeze. Sasuke let himself smirk. "Well," Anko looked away from the genin she had been staring down and pulled a pile of paper from her inside coat pocket and showed it to the group. "Before we start the second test I have to pass this out to you!"

"What is it?" Another brave genin asked.

"It's a consent form, before you can take part in the test we must have your consent to this. And if you want to ask why it's because from here on out people will die." The silence was deafening but Sasuke could feel gazes moving from Anko to teammates. "Here, here." Anko handed the papers to the nearest person and urged him to pass them on. "I'm going to start the explanation for the second test-this is to test your limits of survival." Papers shuffled and Sasuke found a timid girl holding a small pack of papers out to him. Taking the stack he pulled one off the top and passed the papers on to a boy near him.

"First, I'll give you step-by-step instructions on the terrain of this training field. There are forty-four locked entrance gates to this field. There are rivers and a forest with a tower in the middle, from every gate there is about ten kilometers." Anko pulled a scroll out from her coat and opened it, showing everyone a diagram of the forest. "In this confined area, you will go through a certain survival program and the contents of which is an anything goes scroll battle!"

"What does that even mean?" A genin quietly asked his teammates, whispering lowly but Sasuke heard him, Anko seemed to hear too.

"I want you to fight for two scrolls, the heaven scroll and the earth scroll." Anko rolled the diagram back up and replaced it in her pocket. "To start each team will receive one scroll, half of you get the earth scroll and the other half get the earth scroll. The goal is to have possession of both and bring them to the central tower in time." Whispers started breaking out all around Sasuke, talk of the possibility of actually passing the exam. "In the second test there is a time limit and it's 120 hours. For those who can't do your math that's five days. Oh and beware the wildlife, they can get a bit rough." Anko continued on as though no one had started whispering in the middle of her explaining.

"There will definitely be people who are unable to endure the rigors of the course but you cannot give up in the middle of it! Now moving on to the conditions of disqualification." The whispers gradually quieted and Anko continued. "Number one, if all three members of the team can't make it to the tower with the heaven and earth scrolls within the time limit. Number two, if a team loses a member or if a member becomes incapacitated and lastly, do not look at the contents of the scrolls until you have reached the tower!" Waving her arms at the last part she turned her stare to Sasuke and smirked.

"That's it for instructions. Exchange your three consent forms for the scrolls in that hut over there. You'll then be given a gate and all of them will open simultaneously." Anko's stare didn't waiver from Sasuke as she pointed to the small hut on the side. "Finally, just a word of advice. Don't die!" She yelled. Her eyes finally moved away from him and she was smirking at all the rest of the genin.

Everyone seemed to disperse across the small, trodden valley. No one wanted to let anyone overhear their plans and strategies or even the discussions of whether they should continue. Even the redhead walked away from Sasuke and the Uchiha looked for the liveliest patch of grass and moved toward it. He watched her from the corner of his eye; she kept a fair distance from every other group and read the consent form while looking around suspiciously.

He could feel eyes on him; it wasn't hard to miss someone who had no teammates here. Lying down on the grass, hands behind his head and one foot propped up. It seemed as though more people started looking at him when he lay down than when he separated himself from the group. Group by group people were called into the tent, spent three minutes learning the rules and were sent out. They left for their gate immediately, eyeing the other competition as they left, guarding their scroll already. With eight of the teams already gone to their gates Sasuke listened as people shuffled around, getting anxious. The tent flap opened and the ninth team exited along with one of the chuunin who was helping out this test.

"Sasuke Uchiha." The chuunin called out. Everyone seemed to still, waiting for two more names to be called but there no other names to call out. Standing up, Sasuke dusted himself off and headed for the tent. Murmurs started quickly, rising in sound level the closer Sasuke got to the tent. At the point where he was halfway to the tent he heard the distinct sound of someone throwing a kunai. He didn't even have a second to react but it was more than enough time to turn around and catch the kunai by the handle. The grip was worn and fraying, slipping millimeters in his fist.

Looking around, he let his stare linger on a team from the hidden cloud village, knowing that the boy staring angrily back at him had been the one to throw the weapon. He flicked the weapon into the grass at his feet and turned away again. Stepping inside the tent, the chuunin let the flap drop and he was alone with four chuunin and Anko Mitarashi. Three of the chuunin were sitting behind a desk, Anko sitting in the middle and holding a clipboard with papers.

"You got lucky that this was the exam you took before, Uchiha." Anko glanced up from her clipboard to grin darkly at Sasuke. "We thought a five year cycle would be long enough but I guess not." Shrugging, he handed his sheet of paper to one of the chuunin the other held out the earth scroll and he took it, slipping it into his kunai pouch. "You're gate will be number thirty-six." The chuunin didn't look up as Sasuke nodded. Sasuke moved to the exit of the tent, the chuunin opened the flap for him. He gave the remaining teams and the redhead a look before following the chain link fence to his post, the thirty-sixth entrance.

"Kyoko Suzuki Ushinawareta." The chuunin called out, Sasuke waited for more names to be called out but when there weren't he couldn't help but turn around. The redhead was walking forward to the tent, her eyes focused on the tent, her shoulders shaking.

"Lost? Who would have a last name extended to 'lost'?" Sasuke heard some girl mutter loudly. It was too immature to be a scare tactic; she really was making fun of the redhead.

"And where are her teammates? I thought we could only take the exam if a whole team decided together on it." Another male spoke up loudly; he was on the same team as the girl who had asked the question before.

"Shut up you scrawny maggots!" Anko burst from the tent, glaring angrily at the whole group. "I've had just enough from all of you!" The older woman pointed at the redhead without looking at her. "This girl, along with Sasuke Uchiha have been given special permission by the Hokage herself to take the chuunin exams without teammates." She lowered her hand and huffed angrily. "Idiots." She muttered under her breath as she went back inside the tent. Kyoko continued stiffly, probably scared out of her wits, disappearing under the closing flap the chuunin held up. Sasuke glanced at the groups still waiting then turned around and continued towards his specified gate.

At this rate Sasuke couldn't see more than six teams passing the second test. If any of them couldn't figure out that having special permission from the Hokage was a bad thing for them, then as Anko said, they were idiots. Anyone with permission of the Hokage meant either, they were close friends to the Hokage, or they were too powerful for their achieved ninja level. It took five minutes for him to walk around to the entrance labeled '36' in red paint and when he finally did there was still more than enough time before the second exam started. Standing in front of the gate, Sasuke waited patiently for the bell to ring and for the gates to open. His mind started wandering; the first thing that popped into his head was all the various ways to torture the redhead, Kyoko.

Her last name must have been a mistake; 'lost' was to tag underage ninja or civilian of Konoha as missing. She must have been missing at some point before the exams. Regardless of what she had promised through a code from Konoha's own books, he couldn't trust a stranger with a secret this important. Even if Naruto didn't want him to kill anybody Sasuke would do whatever it took to protect his family. Sasuke looked up at the gate, his eyes wide in surprise. His family. The thought hadn't occurred to him before. He and Naruto were lovers but having a baby had been a completely separate idea. Now the two ideas had come together, a family.

The realization quickly set in, a feeling of giddiness started to swell in his chest and he held back a smile, the edges of his lips twitching upwards. He was going to have a family again, it seemed almost to good to be true. His determination was only strengthened by this epiphany. He wasn't going to let anyone or anything happen to endanger Naruto or his baby. With that thought in mind Sasuke heard the bell ring and the gate opened, the second exam had started. Quickly darting inside, the Uchiha ran up the first huge trunk of a tree, heading for the treetops.

From above the forest of death didn't seem that dark and dangerous, the tower standing in the distance. Giving the other teams a few seconds lead, Sasuke watched and listened. It was like the forest had become silent at the sound of the bell and the only ones making noise were the teams of genin. Taking out his ninja wire, Sasuke dropped back down below the foliage and jumped from tree to tree, following behind the team closest on his left. Moving quickly, Sasuke caught up to the team he was following and assessed them.

All three of them were male, short brown hair and grey clothing, the strongest leading them deeper into the forest. They were Mist genin and his best bet would be that the strongest held the scroll on his person. Silently, Sasuke unwrapped the wire from the kunai it was attached to and threw it, throwing it wide enough to catch both of the weaker teens. Before they could react, Sasuke tightened the wire and pulled the two kids together. They slammed against each other, both letting out a choked gasp of surprise. The third must have heard what was going on behind him so Sasuke used the two he'd trapped and pulled them back so he could fly past them.

Headed straight for the last free genin he slipped a kunai out from his pouch, the genin stopped on the next giant branch and turned around only to see Sasuke upon him, kunai aimed right at his throat. Frozen, the genin just stood there and would have had his throat slit if Sasuke hadn't pulled his kunai back and pushed the genin down with his other outstretched hand. The two who the Uchiha had captured fell and snagged against the wire in his grip, they were heavy but Sasuke simply dug the kunai into the wood and released the wire. The wire twanged heavily and dug into the bark but didn't break. Sasuke landed on both his feet with a solid thump against the wood, his kunai against the young boy's throat and his free hand reaching down for the pouch on his waist.

"Never let your guard down." Sasuke spoke quietly; he opened the pouch and dug around carefully. Finding the scroll he pulled it out and glanced at it, a heaven scroll. Slipping the second scroll into his pouch, Sasuke activated his Sharingan and looked into the genin's eyes. The only chance Sasuke got to use his Sharingan though, was to see the genin use a substitution and dart away behind a tree very close by. Seeing this as the best time to leave, Sasuke jumped forward, keeping his kunai out just in case.

Behind him, Sasuke could hear the genin yelling, trying to get a plan together before he got away with their scroll. The sound of shuriken being thrown through the air made Sasuke turned around and he deflected them with ease. The genin were hot on his heels and Sasuke knew he would have to do some fancy genjutsu to get them off his trail. With practiced ease he continued to jump from tree to tree backwards, making the genin seem even more frustrated than they already were. Quickly forming the hand signals, Sasuke dodged more shuriken and kunai. The three were quickly learning Sasuke's jumping pattern and the kunai dug into the wood two inches from his foot.

Thinking quickly, Sasuke turned around and headed for the tops of the trees where he could surprise them, his genjutsu plan slipping from his mind. Flipping around again he took on huge leap into the air; the genin would stop on the tallest branches, see his shadow and look up. It was the perfect trap. The two fell for it, springing through the foliage they stopped and looked around. Seeing the shadow a second to late they looked up simultaneously and two pairs of eyes met Sasuke's Sharingan. He watched as their eyes rolled to the back of their heads. Falling backwards they landed on the foliage bouncing against it as the combined effort of a couple hundred branches held them. Sasuke watched them for a second to make sure they wouldn't fall through before diving back into the foliage.

Sasuke made his way deeper into the forest, the genin he had taken the scroll from would be moving again in half an hour and they would try to follow them. Deeming the distance he put between him and them good enough, he stopped in a small clearing and took a bathroom break. He briefly thought about going straight to the tower but there was the redhead to deal with first. Wondering how he could find her in the hugeness of the forest, he thought of several plans of action.

He could run around and take out other teams and would hopefully find her on his rampage. It would be tiring and dangerous for the baby so he would use it for a last resort. Another idea was to head back to the outside of the forest and track her from her gate but he wasn't exactly sure where her gate had been and he didn't how good Kyoko really was, she might not have left any trail to be tracked. That left one more option and it made the most sense to Sasuke. He would make a camp where he was, set up traps and traps on traps. The girl had said she was not his enemy and that meant there was a probability she would try to seek him out. It would be better if he were prepared rather than be taken by surprise.

Zipping up his pants, he pulled items out from his kunai pouch and went about securing the clearing for his makeshift camp. Invisible wires were strung in all directions, kunai and shuriken hidden in the leaves and outside the invisible wire traps were regular wires, creating an outer barrier that was visible to the naked eye. The visible wire was a trap; it would lure anyone in because they knew someone was hiding inside them. Once finished, Sasuke slipped past his traps and wires and went to find some food and clean water.

The forest was alive all around him, the birds calling out, insects buzzing. To the Uchiha it meant no one was watching him, otherwise the trees would be layered in a tense silence, not a sound would have broken through it. Being wary of the naturally large predators in the forest, he pulled a small metal cup with a handle from his pouch and sighed. He should have brought a small pot to hold more water but still took several long gulps of water. The birds stopped calling and Sasuke lifted his head before standing, the cup slipping back into his pouch. Seconds later a blur broke through a solid branch of wood, crashing into the shallow river thirty or forty yards from where he stood.

A genin from the sand dropped to the ground meters away from the person who had fallen into the water. The genin's teammates joined the lone one on the ground, they eyed him warily but he made no move to run or attack. One of them finally decided to step forward and into the stream, seeing Sasuke as no threat. He tentatively stopped a few feet into the flowing water and craned his neck to get a better view of the thing that had fallen. Sasuke watched as the water exploded, surprising the genin. The one who had stepped into the stream disappeared from view, hidden by the spray of water. Chakra rose out of the falling water, streams of red spinning out of control.

The two genin screamed in horror, incased in a wild flare of chakra was a person with long hair braided with a spiked strap. Sasuke immediately recognized the girl as Kyoko. He scrutinized the redhead while she was busy scaring off the sand genin, the third scrambling out of the water and out of sight past the thick trunks of trees. The red chakra swirled out of control angrily, rising higher and spreading out further from the girl. It was an enormous amount of chakra and Sasuke couldn't think of more than one person who could do the same thing that Kyoko was doing. The feeling of déjà vu hit Sasuke and almost sent a chill down his spine as Kyoko lifted her head and gave a thunderous roar.

"Kyuubi." Sasuke breathlessly whispered. Apparently his aloud realization was not quiet enough and Kyoko spun her head to look at him. Everything about her was bathed in red but her eyes were a deeper red, almost black through the haze of red chakra. Lines of red streaked across her face in three lines on both cheeks and her bangs were in a continuous frenzy of movement due to the density of chakra, allowing Sasuke to see the leaf symbol on her headband. Sasuke could see why the genin had fled; she was almost as terrifying as Naruto himself in Kyuubi mode.

Sasuke's mind was reeling, he knew that was Kyuubi's chakra but she wasn't Naruto. The girl's red eyes widened and the massive amount of chakra swirled closer to her, dissipating into nothing rapidly. His first reaction was to activate his sharingan, he could see the last bit of Kyuubi's chakra disappear and he knew it was the real deal. Sasuke didn't know what to think but had to act quickly. He was running towards Kyoko before he had figured out what he would do, he'd knock her out, take her back to his camp and figure out everything from there.

'Sasuke Uchiha' her lips shaped, he was too far away to hear still. Blood was soaked into her clothes where several tears were but she didn't look like she was in pain at all. Instead she steeled herself, expression souring and looked Sasuke in the eye as soon as he was close enough. Her mistake. Sasuke watched as red eyes faded back to green, bangs returning to cover her forehead, her expression oozing of surprise. Green eyes rolled back in Kyoko's head until all Sasuke could see were the whites. She collapsed on the banks of the stream, water splashing around her.

He slowed down until he was walking towards her, she would be out for at least half an hour. Sasuke stopped at the edge of the small bank and looked down at her, the creek's flow was weak but Kyoko's body still drifted slowly down towards him. The creek was deeper out in the middle, if he wanted, he could drown her. She wouldn't fight back under the influence of his Sharingan. It was tempting but Sasuke had time to think now, Kyuubi's chakra, what did that mean? Stepping onto the water he came closer to the slowly floating body and gripped her wrist, keeping her from floating down any farther. Hesitantly, carefully, Sasuke reached with his other hand to the redhead's face.

He gently placed his thumb and pointer finger on the eyelids of her right eye and carefully pulled them apart. Leaning over, he looked into that green eye and activated his Sharingan. Kyoko was unconscious and as Sasuke expected, nothing happened. Maybe it was because she was unconscious or maybe it was because it was some sort of trick but he still felt something trigger. Releasing her eyelids, Sasuke leaned back down and gripped the wet hem of her shirt and lifted it. He stopped as soon as he saw the flickering image of the black seal on her stomach under the water and studied it carefully. Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke lifted the shirt up farther to pull Kyoko's body out of the water. He frowned at the seal as his view became clearer. The edges of it looked as if some bits and parts had crumpled and flaked off.

The cold feeling of shock started to spread across his body; there was hardly a doubt in his mind that Kyuubi was inside of her. He'd seen the fox's power not even five minutes ago. Who was this? How did she have Kyuubi inside of her when the fox was inside Naruto? Birds began to cry out and their wings beat against the wind, they were being disturbed from their resting places. Sasuke looked up in the direction and watched the birds fly above him. Dropping the soaking shirt, Sasuke reached over the body in the water, gripping Kyoko's other arm.

He lifted the girl out of the water and maneuvered her onto his back, the cool water soaking into the back of his shirt and pants. Another wave of birds broke into chirping, their wings opening and taking flight noisily into the wind. Sasuke took this as his time to leave, jumping straight from the creek to the closest tree. Taking Kyoko back to his camp was the most logical course of action; he wouldn't need to rely on birds to notify him of an enemy approaching. Sasuke returned to his camp just as he had left it, all the traps untouched. Sitting the redhead against a tree, Sasuke rolled his shoulder backwards and turned his head, cracking his neck. She was heavier than she looked.

There was still time before Kyoko awoke but Sasuke wanted to talk to her immediately. Kyuubi was inside of her, how had that happened? What did she know about it? Would she tell him what he wanted to know just by asking her or would she put up a fight? How much would he have to torture her to get the information he needed? He paced around the camp in agitation. There was nothing to do but wait for her to wake up and it was irritating. All he wanted to do was get to the tower, finish the second part of the exam and get back to Naruto but Kyoko just continued to sleep. As time came closer, Sasuke tied her hands behind her back with wire, then bound her feet for good measure.

A few more minutes of pacing and Sasuke was starting to feel the pressure on his bladder that signaled his need to use the bathroom again. Even after taking his time Kyoko was still not awake and Sasuke, who would never show it, was feeling a bit desperate to have her talk. Kneeling back down beside her Sasuke brought his hand to her cheek and moved her head one direction, letting her headrest awkwardly to the side. Patting the cheek several times held no reaction.

Was he really going to have to wait for her to wake up? Sasuke frowned and gripped her chin, turned her head back to its normal position and stared at her. This was ridiculous. Turning away from the girl, Sasuke dropped her chin and sat down a few feet from the sleeping figure. Without even thinking about it, Sasuke set a hand on his stomach. He could feel the small bump under his abs and rubbed it gently. Realizing what he was doing he looked down and felt the edges of his lips quirk upwards. Naruto was starting to rub off on him but in a good way, to just sit there and feel his stomach was soothing. The forest was alive but there was still a quiet that Sasuke wished wasn't there, this was where Naruto was supposed to start talking obnoxiously. They had been together constantly for so long that now Sasuke felt almost naked without the blonde. As his mind wandered, Sasuke heard the sound of someone shuffling but didn't pay it any mind until the shuffling burst into a high-pitched screaming.

"Hii-ahh!" Sasuke looked up from his stomach to see Kyoko's bright green eyes watching him, filled with fear. She pulled at her binds frantically, enough for her to roll over and wriggle pathetically on the ground. Watching her, Sasuke slipped his hand from his stomach and stood up. Kyoko only grew more frightened and attempted to roll away from him into the foliage. Following after her, Sasuke set his foot down on her back and watched as she looked back up at him. She inhaled to scream again, Sasuke felt it under his foot and he pressed down roughly. Where was the courage she had to gawk at his stomach or to use the code during the first exam?

"You're annoying." Sasuke spoke quietly. Kyoko looked back up at him, her breathing shallow. He took his foot off of her back and bent down to pick her up and she squirmed, whimpering hysterically.

"Please! Please don't kill me I-" Kyoko cried out. She squeezed her eyes shut as Sasuke hauled her up to a standing position, pinning her back to the tree. "I don't wanna die, pleas-uh!" The redhead broke down. Her face scrunched up and tears started pouring down her face, Sasuke watched in disgust as she started to cry. Pulling Kyoko off of the tree he softly slammed her back into it. This had the redhead jerk out of her crying; she stared at the Uchiha with teary eyes and lower lip quivering.

"Stop crying." Sasuke quietly told her. He watched as she continued to hyperventilate silently and found it irritating. Tightening his grip on her shirt, Sasuke watched as Kyoko tried to stop herself from sobbing. She bit her bottom lip tightly and inhaled sharply through her nose. "Now you are going to tell me everything." Sasuke told the redhead. Kyoko continued to look up at him, slowly digesting what he said.

"You, aren't going to kill me?" She asked with a shaky voice. Sasuke shook his head.

"That would be stupid, a part of the Kyuubi is sealed away inside of you." The Uchiha watched the redhead's reaction, surprise and realization. She opened her mouth to ask how he knew and watched as Sasuke's eyes faded to red. "I'm an Uchiha, I can see and control the nine-tailed fox." Kyoko stared into the Uchiha's eyes; her mouth agape and Sasuke couldn't help but think that this girl was an idiot. "Keep staring and you'll have a new understanding of pain."

"I'm sorry." The redhead looked down and Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan. "It's a long story, I don't even think I'm supposed to talk about it." She murmured. Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes. Raising his free hand to her chin, Sasuke lifted her head and made her look at him.

"Start explaining." Sasuke told her. He watched her look up with her teary-eyed expression and slipped on a trademark Uchiha glare.

"But-I was told only the Hokage," Kyoko trailed off when she saw Sasuke's glare grow harsher. The tears had mostly dried on her cheeks and the teary look had dried into simple fear.

"The child you saw inside of me belongs to the real container of Kyuubi," Sasuke watched her eyes widen drastically. "So you are going to tell me everything." He was done with coddling the girl. If she was going to cry she could do it while explaining.

"The container is your lover?" The redhead glanced down at Sasuke's stomach, biting her lower lip and then looked back up at the Uchiha. "And you can control the fox."

"Now do you understand why I need to know?" Sasuke asked exasperatedly. "This is my business as much as it is yours." She frowned and opened her mouth to explain.

"I was six when it happened, my family went to the mountain, where the toads live. We went with the third Hokage, I don't remember why we went but my parents let me wander. There was this toad, Gamatora, that didn't want me to bug him and I was just a little kid so I messed with him. "He, I poked and prodded him enough he popped open like a scroll. I was curious so I, I didn't know better. I-I started to mess with the seal not knowing what it would do. He told me to stop but I didn't listen, I opened the seal and, and…" She trailed off.

"And what?" Sasuke asked. She was irritating, stopping just as she was telling the most important part. Kyoko shifted against the tree, reminding Sasuke that he was still holding her by her shirt. Releasing her shirt, Sasuke stepped back and watched the redhead slide down against the tree until she was sitting down. Sasuke sat down himself and watched her continue to talk.

"At the time I didn't know but Gamatora was a seal keeper, I thought it was a game and when I unlocked the seal I must have passed out. I heard this voice but all I could see was darkness. It told me that I was gonna die and I was scared. My whole body felt like it was consumed in fire, when I opened my eyes the world was bathed in red. I tried to scream but it was like every cell in my body had burst apart, I thought I really was going to die." Kyoko shuddered at the memory, stopping to shake her head and sigh heavily. "The next thing I knew I was on the ground with my family and the third Hokage above me. I had second-degree burns all over my body, there were even a few spots I had third degree burns. It took years of treatment to get the scarring to go away." She looked up to see Sasuke's irritated stare and shifted uncomfortably.

"Anyway, I didn't know it at the time but what had been sealed inside the scroll had been half of Kyuubi's chakra. Apparently, when the fourth Hokage sealed Kyuubi away he separated the chakra in half. There was the pure power, Kyuubi's being and there was the power of Kyuubi's will. The person who became the container had Kyuubi's being; I had unknowingly unlocked his will. When it happened, Kyuubi's will had taken residence in my body and manifested inside of me. I would have died and Kyuubi's will would have used what was left of my body to get back to Konoha and kill the container which would unlock his other half." Kyoko paused, taking a small rest from her story.

"The third stopped it though," Sasuke watched her expression and saw that he was right.

"Yeah, Gamatora gave his life so he could reseal Kyuubi's will inside of me. The third told me everything after it all happened and all the toads have been reminding me ever since." She paused, shifting uncomfortably. "I learned the eye trick from the toads in the mountains, they taught me all kinds of things while I was there. I used it to help birth baby toads all the time." Sasuke had been silent through almost all of her explanation, listening, ingesting and digesting. The fourth had split Kyuubi in half when he sealed the fox into Naruto, the fox must have been too strong for a newborn. It was a logical explanation and he had no way of doubting what Kyoko had told him. She had the seal, used Kyuubi's chakra.

"Um, can you untie me now? I won't run away." The redhead asked softly. Sasuke looked over to her and gave a small nod. He stood up, dropping his hand from his stomach when he realized he didn't even remember moving his hand there. Standing up, he moved towards her and watched her shift away from him warily.

"Relax." Sasuke muttered. She had stopped crying but was still irritatingly scared. Kyoko sat up straight and watched as the Uchiha got down beside her and untied the wire that bound her hands. Rubbing her wrists, Kyoko scooted away from Sasuke.

"The third Hokage said I was never to tell anyone, he was going to leave instructions for the next Hokage when he stepped down but all he left was my headband a paper giving me status as a genin and a statement urging for me to take the chuunin exam." The redhead continued cautiously. Sasuke sat back down and leaned against the tree as Kyoko moved to sit in the clearing.

"How long ago did this happen?" He asked and rested his hand over his stomach. Kyoko looked down at her hands, counting her fingers.

"I'm fifteen so it happened about nine years ago." Kyoko finished counting and started to fiddle with her fingers.

"When did you come back to Konoha?" He asked. Kyoko shrugged her shoulders; she seemed to be more at ease than before, letting her guard down.

"Six days ago." She answered.

"Why so suddenly?" A small chill ran down his spine, his gut telling him that something she was going to saw was going to make his life ten times more complicated. The redhead raised her hand to her hair and ran her fingers down her braided hair.

"Kyuubi talks to me sometimes in my dreams. Mostly just him wanting to destroy everything in sight, that kind of stuff but about a month ago he kept trying to talk me into coming back to Konoha, to see my family, to take the chuunin exam. He told me he wasn't going to stop until I went back." Kyoko fiddled with the frayed edges of her hair, unwilling to look Sasuke in the eye.

"So you did." Sasuke stated. It wasn't a question, obviously she had.

"Yeah, this was the first time he wasn't asking me to destroy anything so I was curious." The redhead looked up at Sasuke and looked away again, still unwilling to meet his eyes for very long.

"What did he want?" Sasuke asked. Kyoko made a squeamish face and glanced up at the Uchiha.

"He wanted to escape. The toads warned me it could happen," Kyoko looked up again, eye contact lasting longer this time. "My seal is weak compared to the container's. If I were to get close to them Kyuubi would become stronger and would eventually break through my seal."

"Killing you and escaping." Sasuke butted in. The redhead nodded.

"Yeah, so every time I felt the container nearby, or at least Kyuubi's chakra, I'd run in the opposite direction." Kyoko looked up and watched Sasuke rub his stomach.

"Do you use Kyuubi's power often?" Sasuke questioned.

"I did when I was younger." Kyoko admitted. "I was trying to become stronger and at the time Kyuubi's chakra seemed to be the only way. Now I don't use it unless it's necessary, every time I use Kyuubi's chakra the seal becomes weaker. More of my seal seems to disappear with every bit of chakra I let leak out."

Sasuke took in the information silently, not giving his impression of the information away. "You're really calm about this, it's scary." Sasuke held his stare a few more seconds and dropped it to his stomach, his fingers trailing over his shirt in endless circles.

"We're just talking, what is there to get excited about?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the redhead. Kyoko shifted and was silent. "This is all talk, you don't even know if I believe you." This made the redhead stiffen.

"You don't believe me?" She asked. Sasuke looked up to see her body posture do a one-eighty, her shoulders slumped tightly, she wouldn't look up from the ground and curled inwards on herself as if expecting an attack from him.

"I believe you." Sasuke spoke quietly. The redhead didn't seem to hear him; she didn't look up or even acknowledge that he had said anything. "Kyoko." Sasuke called out, louder this time. She looked up in surprise. "I believe you." He enunciated clearly and watched her bow her head in relief.

"Um," Kyoko uncurled herself but still looked nervous. "So what should I do?" Sasuke watched her wrap her arms around her knees and look up to him questioningly. He started to think, the gears in his head whirring quickly.

"The fifth doesn't know about you?" Sasuke asked. He already knew that the Hokage didn't know but Kyoko shook her head anyway. "If you went to her, it would be problematic for Naruto and I."

"Naruto?" The redhead interrupted. The Uchiha gave her a hard stare and watched her cringe away from him.

"Naruto Uzumaki, my lover, the father of my child and the true container." Sasuke answered her coldly. Kyoko nodded slowly. "The fifth doesn't know about the baby and we want to keep it that way. Having her know about you would put the baby in danger."

"Got it." Koko muttered softly. She looked away from him and started to fiddle with her fingers again, nervous. "So then what do I do? If I get to close to Naruto accidentally, Kyuubi will break free." Sasuke thought about it for a moment, trying to figure out all the options.

"I'll think about it. Focus on finishing this part of the exam." Sasuke stood up and dropped his hands to the side. Kyoko scrambled to get up, nodding vigorously.

"Do you need a scroll?" She asked. Pulling out two scrolls from her pouch she held them out to him. "I know you're strong enough to get them on your own but-"

"I already have two." Sasuke interrupted. "I'm not far enough along for it to cause problems in tricking thirteen and fourteen year olds." Kyoko muttered a quick apology and put her scrolls away, being careful not to look Sasuke in the eye.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." Kyoko whispered. She started to walk out of the clearing but Sasuke stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. He had suddenly remembered about the traps he had set up. The redhead stiffened at Sasuke's touch and looked up with wide eyes.

"I set traps, wait here." Sasuke calmly told her, he went about undoing the traps with ease, collecting his weapons and wire before returning to the clearing where Kyoko was uneasily waiting for him. Emerging from the forest, Sasuke watched the redhead jump up in surprise, her hand in her pocket. "Come on."

Sasuke motioned for Kyoko to follow him and watched her get up, eyes downcast. Obviously something was wrong but she was trying to hide it, failing horribly. It would be annoying if he didn't find out what was wrong but he didn't want to deal with what was wrong with her. Intending on ignoring her all the way to the tower, Sasuke moved ahead of her. He jumped onto a large trunk of a nearby tree and ran up it, hearing the sound of Kyoko following his lead. Reaching this height of the branches, Sasuke quickly moved from tree to tree, the sounds of the girl growing fainter with each passing second.

"Hey wait! Not so fast!" Kyoko's voice echoed through the trees and Sasuke stopped, rolling his eyes and training his glare where the redhead would appear. She jumped into view and stopped a branch behind him, breathing heavily.

"You're too loud." Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away from the girl. Why was he putting up with her? The question already had an answer, she held the power of Kyuubi and if he killed her the Kyuubi would break free and go on a rampage.

"I-I'm sorry." Kyoko whispered. Her voice sounded weak, defeated and only irritated Sasuke further. Gritting his teeth, Sasuke turned back to her. The redhead had tears in her eyes and adverted them as soon as the Uchiha turned to her.

"What are you upset about?" Sasuke softened his glare even though it was going full force in his mind, and Sakura wondered why he couldn't stand her when they were younger. Kyoko stifled a sob and brought her hand up to her eyes to wipe her tears away.

"I'm not good with people, I've lived with animals most of the life I can remember." Kyoko inhaled raggedly. "And I did something to make you hate me and I don't know how to fix it." The redhead sniffed and wiped at her nose. Great, she was an ugly crier as well.

"Stop crying." Sasuke quietly told the girl. "I don't hate you, keep quiet and follow me to the tower." He watched her take a deep breath and look up at him, her hand went up to her braided hair and fingered the spiked strap weaved in it.

"O-okay." Kyoko took a deep breath and nodded. Sasuke turned away and jumped from the tree branch he was standing on to the next, he could hear the redhead follow behind him. He started off at the same pace as he had before and gradually slowed down until he could hear Kyoko right behind him again. "Doesn't this seem too easy?" Kyoko asked softly after a few minutes. Sasuke looked back to see her warily search the forest as they zipped past it, looking for any hidden enemies or traps.

"It's the first day out, everyone is too busy setting up traps to be worried about the tower." Sasuke replied. He turned his head back to where he was going; thinking that she had least had the sense to worry about it being too easy.

The two jumped on a rotting branch and it collapsed beneath them. Separating to regain their pace Sasuke could see the top of the tower in the distance. He couldn't believe the exams were this easy now. Of course the competition in the second exam was at a much lower caliber in comparison to five years ago but still, he had come a long way. His mind wandered from himself to Naruto and to Kyoko, there was no way they could continue to go on like they were right now. Something had to be done.

They couldn't go to the Hokage; that was out of the question. That old hag would get more than one person to look at Naruto and spend countless hours looking at the blonde's seal. Naruto would hate it and he didn't want to put the blonde in a situation he didn't like. There was the fact that if the blonde tried to get out it he would use anything in his repertoire, including the fact that his lover was pregnant. He would have to deal with fixing the seals on his own; the thought of it was daunting. Naruto and Kyoko's seals were no laughing matter; people had given their lives for those seals, to keep Kyuubi from escaping and destroying their village. Sasuke would have to do them justice and make sure Kyuubi wouldn't escape.

Kyoko's seal was the one that was weak; he would need to figure out how to fix her seal on his own. They still had some of the scrolls they had stolen that had information on seals that Sasuke could find useful. Kyuubi, with the help of Kyoko, made the situation a hundred times more complicated. The tower was looming closer; it wouldn't be long before they reached it. Sasuke had a rough plan mapped out in his head, now all he needed to do was perfect it and execute it.

"Kyoko." Sasuke suddenly stated. He slowed down and let the younger ninja move through the forest next to him. "I'm going to fix your seal." Kyoko gasped and jerked her head in his direction. "It will take time for to prepare so stay close to the village."

"They've set up an apartment for me near the eastern gate, is that far enough away from where you live?" Kyoko was eager, hopeful. Sasuke turned to look at her nodding vigorously.

"That's fine." He turned his head back to the tower and saw it looming over them, as the sky was growing darker. The sun would set soon.

"I don't think I can thank you enough, you're saving my life." Kyoko gushed. The Uchiha ignored her and sped up again, her problem seemed to have been fixed and he wouldn't deal with her anymore than necessary.

"Don't thank me for something I haven't done yet." Sasuke retorted. Kyoko was silent, Sasuke nearly sighed in relief. The rest of the run to the tower was uneventful, they reached the tower and Sasuke jumped down from the branches to the ground, Kyoko following his lead. As soon as they were close enough to the doors they opened and the two jogged inside, both slowing to a standstill in the middle of the room.

"Whoa," Kyoko did a 360 turn to look around, her green eyes wide in wonder. "This place is bigger than it looks." Sasuke nodded but the place hadn't changed since the last time he had been here. "What do we do now?" She asked.

"We wait," was Sasuke's monotone response. Kyoko moved to the nearest solid wall, still in awe.

"Um, have you-" Kyoko turned to see the Uchiha give her a cold, hard stare. "It's just a question." Kyoko looked away, still intimidated by Sasuke. The edges of Sasuke's lips quirked upwards for a flat second before disappearing back into his emotionless expression.

"What are we going to do about food?" The redhead asked. She looked around the enormous room as she changed the subject. "Did they give you guys food when you finished?"

"No, my team just barely made it to the tower before the end of the exam." Sasuke answered. Almost immediately after he spoke the skin on his back was tingling and he turned around and looked up.

"Second half of the exam? Mitarashi never said anything about that." Kyoko muttered, sensing the same thing the Uchiha was.

"Because we won't have a second half of the exam, not this time anyway." A voice echoed in the small stadium sized room. Anko appeared in a flash, standing on the walkway on the other side of the room. "The rest of the maggots out there are sneaky but not smart or strong. Out of fifty-three participants forty-four of them chose to move on, that's fourteen teams plus you two." Anko smirked and hopped over the railing, falling to the ground floor. "I bet only two teams at the most will make it, that's eight kiddies for the next exam." She stalked towards the two, her heels clacking against the floor. "No need to make them pick each other off more so than they already have."

Taking a step back and out of Anko's way Sasuke watched as the older woman stood in front of the fifteen year old and scrutinized her. "You're awfully young to have been living with the toads under the third's orders, even for someone who lost their parents in the fight when the third was killed." Sasuke looked from Anko to Kyoko quickly, the redhead hadn't mentioned that before.

Kyoko looked anywhere but at Anko. "I was li-living with the toads before my parents died." She answered. The redhead's eyes flickered upwards momentarily and Anko raised an eyebrow at what Kyoko said.

"Why did they ship you off so far away when you just could have attended the academy in the village? Did they not love you? Did they not want you around?" Anko pressed further. Kyoko's eyes widened drastically and she finally looked up, her expression dripping with fear.

"T-there was extenuating circumstances with my home life." Kyoko looked away and Anko smirked briefly before letting it drop back into a smile. She knew she had thoroughly intimidated the girl.

"Well I came here for two reasons, first, your name," Anko pointed to Kyoko. "Has not been changed, those idiot chuunin don't know how to read a transcript. You're still just Suzuki. And the last part is to congratulate you on nearly breaking the record the Kazekage and his siblings set five years ago." Anko waved her hand in the air and turned around, glancing at Sasuke pointedly before walking away. "Food will be dropped off three times a day until time is up." With that the proctor for the second exam disappeared in a flash, leaving a blank faced Sasuke and Kyoko, who's calm was quickly deteriorating. Taking a deep breath, the red head slid down on the wall until she was sitting on her ass, hugging her knees.

"Is everyone so scary?" Kyoko's voice was shaking. "I nearly peed myself." She whispered to herself but Sasuke still heard and nearly smirked.

"She's softened up over the years." Sasuke muttered. Letting out a weak laugh, Kyoko looked up at the older man and brushed away the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"You mean she used to be even more of a hard ass than she is now?" She chuckled harder when Sasuke nodded. He couldn't deal with this again; Sasuke wasn't her babysitter or her father.

"You did well." The Uchiha spoke softly, activating his Sharingan and looking over to the redhead. He'd just put her out for an hour, allow himself time to finalize his plans and for her to calm down.

"Not well enough if I'm going to break down crying any second. I just want to go back to living with the toads where there are no people." Kyoko took another deep breath and raised her hand to her braid, fingering the spiked strap in an attempt to calm down.

"You've been through a lot in the past few hours." Sasuke kneeled down, impatiently waiting for the redhead to look up.

"I don't see you bawling your eyes-" Kyoko stopped midsentence as she looked up and was caught in the sharingan.

"Sleep." At the command Kyoko's eyes fluttered shut, her head lolling to the side. Standing up, Sasuke deactivated his eyes and sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "I've been through worse." He said to himself.

In the few hours since the exam started the first plan had been blown to bits and he needed to sort it out. He was pregnant with Naruto's child, hiding the fact from everyone they knew and if people found out, Sasuke didn't know what would happen and didn't want to think about it. Now, this girl, Kyoko Suzuki, had half of Kyuubi's powers inside of her with a seal that would eventually break when she got too close to Naruto. Eventually Kyuubi would break Kyoko's seal and go on a rampage, another thing he didn't want to think about. This wasn't something he could just leave alone.

As he had thought before, telling the Hokage about it would lead to specialists brought in who would spend every free moment of the blonde's time looking over his seal. Either Naruto would blurt something out to try and get away from them or they would notice Sasuke himself acting strange, he was hoping the symptoms of pregnancy wouldn't be noticeable but there was no telling what his body would do. Morning sickness was a symptom Sasuke was dreading not only because it sounded terrible but also because it was the most noticeable that he could not stop. It could ruin everything. He couldn't allow that.

To keep the Hokage and everyone else in Konoha unaware of the situation for the time being he would have to strengthen Kyoko's seal without letting the Kyuubi out. He would need a lot of space, where he could work without being interrupted by anyone. Sighing, Sasuke could only think of one place that would work, the Uchiha compound. Moving into the compound would give him a plausible reason to spend so much time there and he had been thinking about actually doing it anyway. Naruto and he needed something bigger than their already crammed apartment to fit their growing family. As for Kyoko, once the seal was strengthened she would probably go back to the mountains but for now, Sasuke could make her promise to not say anything with a suggestion from him, she would keep the secret to the best of her ability and that's all Sasuke needed.

Rubbing his head in irritation, Sasuke moved to the wall and sat down. He would have to tell Naruto about all of this without Kyoko, the blonde would probably think he was joking at first. Then, he and Naruto would have to pack everything up, settle the rent and move to the Uchiha compound. It was going to be a major headache and with his growing mood swings and the inevitable growth of his stomach. Screw a headache; it was going to be hell. Minutes turned into an hour quickly with several bathroom breaks during it, just as the hour was ending, a chuunin showed up with a palate of steaming bowls and plates. He set the food down in front of the two and disappeared again. Gently touching Kyoko's arm, Sasuke shook the girl awake and she opened her eyes immediately.

"Dinner is here." He said and leaned forward to open up the steaming bowls. Two bowls of fresh, steaming rice, an array of vegetables and meat. It was simple and boring but practical.

"You put me to sleep." Kyoko dazedly accused. She was still shaking off the effects of the Sharingan so Sasuke ignored her. Sliding the palate of food closer, Sasuke grabbed a pitcher of water and held out his free hand to her.

"Give me your canteen," Sasuke watched as Kyoko frowned in discomfort and shifted, she pulled her hand from her back and set in Sasuke's hand. Unscrewing the lid of the canteen he checked the amount of water in it and refilled with water.

"Why did you do that?" Kyoko asked. She glared at Sasuke weakly and snatched her canteen back when the Uchiha offered it to her. Taking a small mouthful of water before recapping it roughly, angry.

"You were on the verge of a breakdown," Sasuke answered. He took a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks that lay on the side, picking out meat and vegetables to his liking.

"I was going to go cry it out in the bathroom." Kyoko grumbled. She watched as Sasuke picked out steaming pieces of meat and vegetables, placing them on his rice and leaned back, glancing at the redhead once with a hard look. Deflating before she was even completely angry, Kyoko leaned forward herself and picked up the other bowl of rice, piling it high with meat and not even touching the vegetables.

Sasuke took note of her appetite but didn't mention it; assuming it was Kyuubi's inclination to meat. His mind wandered again as he filled his stomach. Anko had said something earlier that was bugging him. "You're parents were killed during Orochimaru's attack?" He watched Kyoko look longingly at her bowl of food.

"Yeah, no one knew I was in the mountains so after the attack they found my family partially burned in a fire and assumed I had perished with them even though they hadn't found a body. I didn't receive the news until I went to apply for my genin rank and found myself legally dead." The redhead poked at her food now, her defeated mood turning even gloomier. "You don't plan on knocking me out again, are you?" Kyoko looked up from her food cautiously. Sasuke leaned forward and picked out more vegetables and meat before answering.

"Do you plan to start crying again?" Sasuke retorted. The gloomy expression didn't change and she watched the Uchiha sit back before she leaned forward, chopsticks digging into the last of the meat.

"No." She replied sullenly. Silence settled around them and Sasuke was glad Kyoko finally seemed to understand that he enjoyed silence more than conversation. "Hey Sasuke," He spoke too soon.

"Hn." The Uchiha murmured. He continued to eat, glancing up at the redhead only for a moment. Her expression was pitiful and Sasuke wanted to ignore her completely but she opened her mouth anyway.

"Earlier, we," Kyoko hesitated. "We weren't just talking were we?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow and filled his mouth with food as Kyoko looked up to him. He chewed and swallowed, taking his time before answering her.

"No, we weren't just talking." Sasuke told her before taking another bite of his food. Kyoko's expression brightened slightly and she looked away from the Uchiha and poked at her food again. Silence settled around them again and Sasuke hoped she would keep it that way for the rest of the second exam.


	7. Sasuke's Return

**June 25th, the seventh week**

The four extra days passed by slowly at first, the two bored out of their minds before the first team actually arrived in the middle of the third day. That was when it had gotten interesting; the team was collectively battered and bleeding. Kyoko had eyed the team as they eyed her and the Uchiha, tentatively asked if they needed help dressing their wounds and was given the response, 'fuck off'.

She had not taken kindly to the response and ignored the three the rest of the day. On the fourth day, two more teams arrived in practically the same condition as the first. One had been in the early hours of the morning, the other in the middle of the afternoon. Everyone was on edge, not trusting anyone that wasn't from his or her village. On the fifth day, time seemed to slow down even more so that the past few days. Kyoko waited impatiently for the time to count down, pacing slowly as Sasuke watched her calmly, leaning against the wall and taking frequent bathroom breaks.

Half an hour before the doors to the tower closed a fourth full team came walking in, everyone's eyes on them warily sizing them up. Sasuke recognized them as the mist genin he had stolen his second scroll from. Each of them stared at the Uchiha and he smirked, their glares shattered in sudden fear. Not knowing what to do the mist ninja all looked away, masking their fear with fury and glared at anyone else who dared to look at them. Kyoko watched curiously as the mist genin shuffled to a spot as far away from her and Sasuke, their eyes not straying in their direction. She glanced over at the Uchiha and saw the smirk he was giving them right before he dropped it and immediately conjured up a rough idea of what happened.

"Do you think anyone else will make it in time?" She asked quietly. Sasuke fixed his mask of indifference and shook his head slightly.

"No." Sasuke glanced around the room, watching the teams pretend to ignore each other while trying to figure out weaknesses and strengths. Kyoko nodded and sighed heavily. They sat in silence together for the next twenty-five minutes and suddenly, Sasuke started to feel nauseous. The bottom of his stomach dropped and bile rose in his throat, he was going to be sick.

Rising quickly, catching everyone's attention, Sasuke stalked to the bathroom, a small alcove in the large room, one door for men and the other for women. Moving into the bathroom designated for men, he darted to the closest stall and leaned over the edge of the bowl. The sound of puking reverberated in his ears as he spilled the contents of his stomach. Wincing at the burn in his throat, he heaved again, gripping the bowl of the toilet tightly. Once his stomach settled, he stood up and flushed the toilet. Wiping the excess crap on his chin, he went to the sink. Turning on the water he washed the puke from his hands and then splashed his face to rid himself of the sick feeling he had. This was morning sickness and he loathed it already.

Now, feeling the effects full on, he knew that it was going to be long and hard pregnancy. Turning off the faucet, he grabbed paper towels and dried his face and hands, he could feel itching feeling in the back of his throat but he ignored it. The time limit had already passed and he needed to get back. Anko was already talking to the genin about the third exam, the board had been brought out and names were already written on it. Sasuke only needed to glance at the board to know where his name was; he was in the seventh match against a random kid. Kyoko's name was slotted in the third.

At least he didn't have to be worried about fighting her too soon in the tournament; he was even fighting fewer matches than the others. Sasuke felt relief with knowing that fact. Less of a chance to get hurt and he didn't need that match that everyone else had. Everyone knew how good he was based on his reputation; it wouldn't take much to impress whoever would choose who passed the exam. Anko glanced over at him as he walked to the edge of the group; everyone was too busy taking in the fact that they would have a whole month to prepare for the third exam.

"Glad you could join us Uchiha, I don't have to repeat my whole speech do I?" The older woman patronized him. This caused a majority of the genin to look back at him.

"I remember it well enough from the last time." Sasuke kept eye contact with Anko, unaffected by her attempts to get him to react. Anko smiled ruefully and surveyed the younger teenagers.

"Alright you maggots! See you in a month and if you're late, you're automatically disqualified!" Anko waved her hand dismissively and started to walk away. "Now get out of my sight and go home, you all smell."

The group started to disperse, Kyoko immediately making a bee line over to where Sasuke stood. "Hey, you okay? You just up and left." Sasuke gave her a look that she had come to known well over the last few days as Sasuke speak for 'shut the fuck up.' She closed her mouth and watched as the group around them drifted farther and farther apart.

"Don't do anything stupid." Sasuke told her. He glanced up to see Anko keeping the corner of her eye on him and the redhead.

"That won't be a problem." Kyoko sighed. "I'm not allowed to take any missions, I've still got to fill out paper work that I won't see until after the end of the exam."

"Good." Sasuke muttered quietly. Kyoko nodded and gave a small smile, waving goodbye as she followed the crowd of genin out of the tower. Every team was on their own to get back out of the forty-fourth training field.

"Uchiha!" Sasuke heard Anko call out. He turned to look at her as she waved her fingers for him to come closer. Doing as the jonin asked, Sasuke came towards the board of names. Sasuke's first instinct was that Anko's chuunin had seen Kyoko's stunt the very first day but he squelched it down, she wouldn't want to talk to just him and not Kyoko in that situation.

"Don't be late this time, we wouldn't want you being disqualified on a technicality." Anko looked over the board and then turned to him, grinning devilishly. Nodding slowly Sasuke looked over to Anko, their eyes meeting.

"Of course." Sasuke answered. He turned around and made his way to the entrance of the tower, leaving Anko watching him exit the tower. Sasuke passed Kyoko first, then the rest of the teams of genin quickly. He wanted to get home as quick as possible, there was a blonde that had been waiting five long days for him to come back.

* * *

The apartment was dark when he reached it, Sasuke had known Naruto was probably out on a mission but half hoped he had been wrong. Now he could take a long shower in peace as the other half of his mind had hoped for. Having an unusual lack of care, he slipped his shoes off and left them lying apart from each other on the floor. Slipping his kunai pouch off and setting it down on the coffee table he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor just outside the bathroom.

Leaving the bathroom door open, he unzipped his pants and let it and his boxers drop so he could step out of them. Stepping into the shower, he immediately turned the water to hot, it hit his chest and he leaned forward so that it hit his face, eyes closing as the spray washed away any loose dirt. He ran his hands through his dirty hair, the stress of the first and second exam slipping away with the warm water. Turning around, he opened his eyes and reached for the soap, intending to clean as thoroughly as possible before the hot water ran out. As he went on with his shower, Sasuke's mind wandered.

He would need to tell Naruto about Kyoko, that he didn't have all of Kyuubi inside of him and that they needed to help her before the nine tailed fox was let loose on the village. It was going to be another problem whether Sasuke wanted it to be or not. Another long, hard task to complete and another secret to hide from the village, what else was going to happen to make them change his and Narutos' plans? He raised his hand to the seal on his shoulder and a shiver raced up his spine; it was a very sensitive spot.

The sound of the front door unlocked snapped Sasuke out of his reverie, the familiar presence of his lover reaching his senses and he relaxed, sighing deeply. From the shower, he could feel the blonde moving around the apartment, coming closer and closer until he could see Naruto's outline behind the shower stall door. Naruto's outline came to the door and opened it, the blonde head poking in and regarded the Uchiha carefully. The blonde wore the traditional green chuunin vest and black pants, his feet bare.

Immediately, Sasuke knew something was wrong and there were several clues. The first was the blonde didn't immediately strip before opening the stall door, no intention to jump said Uchiha in the shower. Secondly, there was no loud, obnoxious 'I'm home, Teme!' and third, a small ring of blood red color surrounded Naruto's iris, just as it had when they had been in the compound. Sasuke watched as Naruto stepped into the stall, clothes and all, unsure of how to react. The blonde continued to regard the Uchiha with such a serious expression that Sasuke found it disturbing. When the blonde was even closer he took a step back, the water spraying against his scalp as he moved. The blonde followed him, moving into the spray of water, unhindered by it.

Once the small of Sasuke's back hit the cool metal of the shower handle he stopped moving, watching Naruto come closer until their noses were touching. The ring of red was so obvious now that he could see it up close; Kyuubi's power oozing through the seal with the help of the blonde's anger. Sasuke didn't know why but Naruto was pissed. "You smell like someone else." Naruto stated. His voice was low and restrained, obviously holding back anger. "You smell like a _fox_." The blonde hissed, his eyes narrowing angrily.

For a briefest second, Sasuke was confused but then quickly realized what his lover was talking about. Without so much as a change in facial expression, he tilted his head just a fraction to respond but Naruto didn't want to have any of it. Snarling, he punched the tile next to Sasuke's head just hard enough for it to have a hairline crack running across it's length. "You're mine!" Naruto growled out. Spit flew onto Sasuke's already wet cheek and he wanted to wipe it off but knew Naruto would not take physical reactions well while pissed off.

"Does my breath smell like someone else's?" Sasuke asked. He was spoke calmly, wholly unaffected by Naruto's outburst. Naruto didn't reply, just kept glaring angrily at his pregnant lover, Sasuke knew the blonde would have said something if he had. "Does my dick smell like it's been touched by another?" Once again silence. "Does my ass smell like another filled it?" The last sentence made Naruto react, snarling again Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the arm and forced him to turn around. Sasuke complied, knowing he got the blonde mad enough to actually do something crazy.

Just as he thought, he felt Naruto bend down and spread his ass cheeks wide. Sasuke could hear Naruto sniff experimentally, then silence as information sunk into Naruto's furious mind. Standing up, Sasuke felt Naruto sniff his entire way up Sasuke's back and grabbed his arm, sniffing it all the way up to the tips of his fingers. Quietly turning Sasuke around, he kneeled down again and buried his nose into the Uchiha's crotch. Naruto inhaled deeply, nuzzling Sasuke's flaccid cock with his cheek. Growing aroused, Sasuke sighed softly and slipped his fingers through the blonde's hair.

"Happy, Usuratonkachi?" Sasuke muttered. He watched as Naruto pulled away from his hardening erection and stood up, immediately making eye contact.

"You're mine." Naruto repeated. Not having time to respond Sasuke was pressed up against the tile wall of the stall, Naruto's lips feverishly moving against his, forcing his tongue into the Uchiha's mouth.

Their bodies were pressed up against each other, Naruto's wet clothes against the Uchiha's bare skin. Sasuke could feel Naruto grinding up against him but with no room to move he was left with only his mouth to respond to the blonde's advances. Allowing the blonde to have his way for a few seconds, he passively fought back. When he finally had enough, he used the wall for leverage and pushed Naruto against another side of the shower stall. The movement broke their kiss and Sasuke pressed his forearm against the blonde's neck, his other hand reaching down to grip the blonde's crotch.

Growling under his breath, Naruto glared at his lover as Sasuke smirked up at him and squeezed the blonde's crotch roughly. "And this is mine." Sasuke raised his eyebrows in a challenge when Naruto's blue eyes, with the thin ring of red still there, narrowed. "Are you satisfied now, Dobe?" The water from the showerhead sprayed down on Sasuke's back, it's lukewarm temperature cool against his skin, the Uchiha briefly thought about turning it off, the water bill was always more expensive whenever they did it in the shower.

"No." Naruto scoffed. His hands reached around to grab the Uchiha's ass and squeezed tightly, nails scraping angry red lines onto perfectly pale white skin. Sasuke stepped closer and leaned upwards, planting a fierce kiss on his impatient lovers' lips.

Immediately, Naruto forced his tongue against Sasuke's lips, Sasuke opening his mouth only to fight back, using his body as leverage. Their tongues battled roughly, both unwilling to give in to the other. Unable to hold himself back, Naruto forcibly pushed Sasuke off of him, following close enough that their mouths stayed connected and turned them around, grabbed Sasuke by the ass, lifted him off of his feet and slammed Sasuke into the tiled wall. Angry that the blonde was manhandling him, Sasuke scowled into the kiss and pushed Naruto's tongue out of his mouth. Naruto, preparing to attack again moved to suck on the lower lip of his lover only to be bitten, hard. Pulling back quickly, Naruto thrust his hips into Sasuke's and licked his lips to see if there was any blood.

"Damn it bastard, that hurt." Naruto cursed. He looked up into Sasuke's eyes with a slightly pissed off expression, the ring of red gone and sapphire blue eyes once again crystal clear.

"Turn off the water." Sasuke stated barely out of breathe. Still he let out small sigh of relief, he hadn't known how much control Kyuubi had over Naruto's anger and was glad to find out it was very little. Sasuke hid a smile as Naruto rolled his eyes and hiked Sasuke up higher against the wall so he could reach over and turn off the water. Turning back to Sasuke he slipped his hands underneath Sasuke's ass and lifted him off the wall.

Out of habit, Sasuke wrapped his legs around Naruto's waist to stop himself from falling backwards, his arms easily slipping over the blonde's shoulders. "Bed." This was all Sasuke needed to say. The blonde turned around and walked out of the shower, leaving a trail of water in their wake. Taking the few free seconds he had before Naruto dropped him on their bed, Sasuke tried to determine why Kyuubi's power was acting up now, just as it had the day before the exams.

Naruto had been angry with him before but never had the red appeared in the blonde's eyes. The blonde had always been possessive but he had specifically referred to the smell of someone else as a fox. He needed only one guess to know whom the blonde had unknowingly referred to. As they approached the bed, Sasuke put the first two pieces of the puzzle together. Kyoko had arrived six days before the exam; Naruto's eyes had the ring of red the day they went to the compound, six days before the exam and just now, in the shower. Both times the blonde had been furious and that was when Kyuubi's chakra leaked.

It gave him momentary relief that both seals were strong enough to not break from being so close already. Then came the worry of Naruto getting angry during a mission and wreaking havoc on whoever was near, the elders would see it as enough reason to imprison the blonde or even kill- Sasuke's thought process came to a halt as he was dropped, the free fall jerking him out of his thoughts. Shock rippled across his body as he bounced on the bed. Looking up to Naruto for an explanation of being dropped so suddenly he watched as the blonde unzipped his wet, green chuunin vest, shrugging it off.

"Teme, stop thinking so much." Naruto grinned and moved to unzip his pants, letting them drop into a wet pile on the floor.

"Hurry up and fuck me then, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke replied monotonously. His thoughts jumped over his previous musings to new ones as he watched his lover grin and continue to strip. The fact that Kyoko had come to Konoha and Kyuubi's power had grown stronger after she arrived was not coincidence.

The two were linked together by Kyuubi and their seals but Naruto had been angry when he had smelled Kyoko on him. The fact that the blonde had specifically said 'fox' meant that he could tell just by smelling her scent on him that Kyoko had something foxlike about her. He glanced down at the blonde's crotch when Naruto dropped his underwear, erection already standing up and hard. How could he stop Kyuubi's power from leaking through the seal whenever the blonde got angry?

Kyoko's seal was weak, was Kyuubi's chakra leaking because it was overflowing Kyoko's and spreading it across the two seals, giving Naruto's seal more than it could handle? Just what kind of connection did Kyoko and Naruto have through the seals? He would have to do some research. Watching Naruto crawl on top of him, his last coherent thought on the subject was only that he had to strengthen Kyoko's seal and to do it without anyone else noticing, there simply was no other way. The blonde grinned cheekily and propped himself up on his elbows and knees, looking down at the Uchiha.

"You're still thinking." Naruto stated. Sasuke gave a small shrug.

"Maybe because you aren't fucking me yet." The reply was met with a snort from the blonde, knowing the man below him was just trying to raise a sexual response.

"Welcome home, asshole." Naruto leaned down and kissed the Uchiha on the lips. Sasuke let Naruto pick the pace of this kiss, his lips moving gently against Naruto's in a deep kiss. Feeling the blonde above him lie down he shivered, both their bodies were wet and it gave him a chill. Feeling his lover shiver, Naruto broke the kiss and looked over to the side of the bed, he reached out and pulled the blanket from the corner and threw it over their chilled bodies. Sasuke frowned as the warm blanket touched his sides, it would need to be dried at least after they were done.

"It needs to be washed anyway Sasuke, I sort of haven't done laundry." Naruto sheepishly admitted as he leaned back down and kissed Sasuke's neck softly. Rolling his eyes, he should have known Naruto wouldn't attempt to do any housework without him. Raising his hips against the man above him, Sasuke slipped his arms around Naruto's back and pulled the blonde down on top of him. Letting his hands slip outwards, Naruto collapsed with a quiet grunt.

His lips parted from Sasuke's neck and he raised his head to look into his lover's eyes. Dipping his head down, Naruto initiated another kiss, slipping his tongue inside Sasuke's mouth and mapped it as his hands slid down to the Uchiha's sides. Naruto's calloused, tan hand slid across the seal on Sasuke's left shoulder and pinched the skin softly. In reaction, Sasuke moaned into the kiss, hips rising again to make their erection rub against each other.

Letting his hands travel lower to the Uchiha's hips, Naruto ground back, running his tongue over Sasuke's teeth and felt the Uchiha's muscle push back. Slipping his hands between their crotches, Naruto grabbed the Uchiha's erect member and his other hand slipped to Sasuke's asshole. Jerking up at the touch, Sasuke moaned and let Naruto have his way in the kiss, another moan escaping from his throat.

Fondling Sasuke was one of Naruto's favorite things to do; he squeezed Sasuke's erection and pumped it lightly. Pressing his pointer finger against the tight ring of muscle, Naruto grinned into their kiss as the body beneath him quivered. Slipping his finger in to just above his first knuckle, the blonde felt Sasuke's muscles tensing around it, trying to pull it into the warm tightness. Naruto was the one to break the kiss, simultaneously pulling his finger away from Sasuke's greedy little hole. Both were gasping for breath and Naruto rose to his knees, one hand still holding a soft grip on Sasuke's cock.

"I've missed you the past couple of days, bastard." Naruto murmured with a smile. Instead of responding with words, Sasuke turned his head to the curtained window where on the windowsill was a half used bottle of lube. "Yeah, yeah." Naruto rolled over, releasing Sasuke's erection and taking the cover with him. Making an annoyed sound in the back of his throat, Sasuke grabbed an edge of the cover and pulled it back to cover his still wet skin from the air. Naruto chuckled softly but Sasuke didn't respond, watching the naked, still half wet, idiot reach up to grab the bottle.

The blonde could tell something was off, by now Sasuke would be complaining about him being too slow, yet he wasn't, he was letting Naruto tease and pleasure him. Naruto felt like something was bothering the Uchiha, bothering him enough to make him want Naruto to reassure him that he was there for him. Sasuke was strong but could the Chuunin exams have really done that much to Sasuke for him to need Naruto's reassurances? There was always the possibility that it was the baby and hormones that was causing it but Naruto knew Sasuke would want to go straight into a quickie if it were his hormones. It was something else.

"It was boring without you." Sasuke grudgingly muttered when Naruto scooted back over to him. The Uchiha opened his shell of blanket and allowed his lover inside it. Smiling, Naruto crawled back on top of his lover, using his legs to prop Sasuke's own legs open. The blanket made Naruto's back itch, brushing against pearls of water that had yet to dry. Popping open the bottle, Naruto slid his lips over Sasuke's skin. Teasingly ghosting over the Uchiha's hardening nipples before biting down gently on one of them. This made the Uchiha sigh softly, pleasure washing over him in a gentle wave as a cold, heavily coated in lube finger poked at his entrance.

Still taking his time, Naruto released Sasuke's nipple and let his tongue run over it roughly, seeing just how far he could get before either he or the Uchiha snapped. Simultaneously, the blonde's finger slid in to the hilt and he pulled it back out before adding a second lubed finger. Attaching his lips to the erect nipple, Naruto sucked, his fingers making the scissoring motion inside his lover. Looking up at Sasuke's expression, the blonde couldn't help but grin. Sasuke's eyes were halfway closed, looking up at the ceiling in a daze. Naruto's finger pressed against Sasuke's insides, looking for the single spot that would make the Uchiha jump.

As soon as Naruto found that small bundle of nerves, Sasuke's eyes flared open in surprise, his body immediately tensing as a bolt of pleasure struck his nerves. His hips bucked and hands came up to grab blonde hair tightly. Humming in approval, Naruto slipped a third finger in with the other two, wiggling them around, barely brushing against that spot and making Sasuke hold his breath. Giving the erect nipple one last lick, he released it and moved his head to the other, intent on giving it the same treatment. Sasuke's mind was lost in a fog of pleasure. Naruto's fingers inside of him, lips on his nipples and chest pressed up against his already hard cock. The foreplay was teasingly slow but Sasuke didn't care.

At this moment, all he wanted to do was belong to the blonde, let Naruto make him quiver, set his nerves on fire. With what had happened during the Chuunin exams, finding out all that he did and figuring out what he needed to do, Sasuke had been craving any touch that Naruto would give and wouldn't waste effort on griping about not going straight into sex.

Naruto seemed to understand Sasuke's need, especially when he wasn't urged to go faster in the middle of foreplay. Taking his time, Naruto pumped his fingers in and out, sucking on the nipple in his mouth. The itch on his back growing even more irritating as the temperature rose underneath the blanket. He shifted in an attempt to get rid of it but he seemed to have found the only ragged spot on the soft and worn blanket.

Closing his eyes in a rising bliss, Sasuke turned his head to the side, the wetness of the pillow reminding him that he had not finished cleaning himself, or properly drying off. It wouldn't matter in the end; he could feel the collecting heat between him and the blonde. He'd need another shower before the day was over. Naruto couldn't hold himself back any longer, the first to have enough of the foreplay and agitated with the blanket, Naruto released Sasuke's pert nipple, pulled his fingers free of the warm tightness and grabbed Sasuke by the waist. Flipping them over was a surprise to the Uchiha and his eyes opened as soon as he was rolled on top of the blonde.

Giving said blonde a slightly pissed off glare, he raised himself up on his hands. Their lower bodies grinding against each other in such a way that Sasuke almost forgot about being mad. Naruto grinned up at the dark haired male and slipped his hand, one slick with lube, to their pressed erections. "Ride me." Naruto said quietly. His voice was deep and sensual, sending shivers up the Uchiha's spine as slick, tan fingers pulled their erections together. Sasuke opened his mouth to respond and found himself choked on his words. The hand around their erections started pumping them, making them rub against each other. Sasuke had to tense up to stop himself from climaxing.

"F-fine Dobe." Sasuke finally spoke up. Clenching his teeth, he felt Naruto stop his ministrations, lube-covered fingers slipping away. The blonde's free hand reached up to Sasuke's neck and pulled him down, lips meeting in a deep kiss. Sasuke felt Naruto's tongue slide into his open mouth, rubbing the underside of his own tongue to coax him to retaliate. Sasuke pressed his tongue against Naruto's, pushing the battle into Naruto's mouth. Passively resisting, Naruto allowed Sasuke to run his tongue of the blonde's teeth and suck on his lower lip. He had passed on the control and if Sasuke wanted it, he would have to work for it and the Uchiha knew exactly what Naruto wanted.

Breaking the kiss, Sasuke pulled himself into a kneeling position, the blanket pooling over his shoulders and down the sides of his chest. Without breaking eye contract with the blonde's blue eyes, Sasuke reached behind him and found Naruto's erection. It was slick in his hands; the lube that had been on Naruto's hand when he had rubbed their erections together was effectively spread over the expanse of erect flesh. Positioning himself above his hands, Sasuke slowly lowered himself down, the head of Naruto's cock pressing against his prepped entrance teasingly.

Sitting even farther down, Sasuke felt Naruto's head slip past his ring of muscles, spreading and filling him the farther down he went. Trying to concentrate on sitting down on the cock, Sasuke closed his eyes, biting his lower lip to stop from moaning out. Feeling the blonde staring at him, Sasuke pushed himself even farther down, the thickness inside of him sending waves of pleasure across his system. It felt so good. Daring to open his eyes, Sasuke found Naruto's eyes moving to stare at his face and where their bodies where his cock was disappearing into Sasuke.

"Like, mh, what you see?" Sasuke gasped out as he finally came to a stop, the back of his thighs hitting Naruto's, his balls resting against the blonde's lower abdomen. Naruto swallowed dryly before nodding. Sasuke placed his hands on the blonde's thighs and lifted himself up. The blanket slipped a little from Sasuke's shoulders revealing more half dried skin for Naruto to admire as the Uchiha leaned backwards. With a look of pleasure-dazed focus, Sasuke raised himself almost all the way off of Naruto's cock and sat back down, starting his pace off slow.

The sight was breathtaking for Naruto, to see Sasuke's pleasure splayed out before him. Sasuke's focused stare was glazed with pleasure, cheeks bright red and mouth half open. Wet black hair matted to the side of Sasuke's face and the natural unnatural spiking on the back of his head mussed into a raised tangle. The Uchiha's body leaned away from him, erection bobbing with each thrust, sometimes lightly slapping against Sasuke's own abdomen.

With each downward motion, Naruto was sucked into the tight heat that was his lover and as Sasuke pulled up the blonde wanted to thrust up with him to stay in that heat just a little longer. He held himself back, knowing he wanted Sasuke to beg for it, go almost crazy with pleasure before he took over and finished them both off. The blanket slipped off Sasuke's shoulders completely, falling into a heap on Naruto's thighs, Sasuke's pace had grown faster and his eyes had slipped closed as pleasure raced through his body. A noise stuck between a grunt and a moan had started to escape his lips with every downward thrust.

"Naruto," Sasuke grunted. He opened his eyes and gave the blonde a pleading look. "Do you expect me to do all the work?" He asked. Smiling softly, Naruto raised his hands to Sasuke's hips and as Sasuke came down on his cock the blonde thrust upwards. Surprised by the suddenness of Naruto's actions, Sasuke's eyes widened, muscles tensing around Naruto's erection tightly. This caused shivers to run up both of their spines, a gasp escaping from the Uchiha's open mouth. Before Sasuke could start thrusting up again, Naruto sat up and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and held him close. Obsidian eyes looked up into bright blue, seeing the grin on both the blonde's lips and eyes.

Knowing the blonde was happy with himself, Sasuke decided to grind his hips and press his lips on Naruto's cheek. He let his eyelids droop until he was forcing himself to crane his head upwards to look at the blonde. Naruto's reaction was exactly what Sasuke wanted. "Dobe, I want to feel you." The Uchiha whispered huskily. Naruto groaned and the limb inside of Sasuke twitched and got bigger. Sasuke watched in satisfaction as Naruto narrowed his eyes in such a way that had the Uchiha shivering in excitement. The blonde pushed Sasuke over, his lower back resting against the covers. Lifting Sasuke's legs over his shoulders, Naruto gave the pleasure shocked Uchiha a wide grin before relentlessly pounding into his lover.

"Ah!" Sasuke cried out. His hands reached above his head for anything he could grasp, toes curling as pleasure ripped across his senses, eyes squeezed shut at the intensity of it all. Naruto could feel himself getting closer and closer to completion, his eyes trained on Sasuke's expression of utter bliss. Reaching down between Sasuke's legs he gripped the Uchiha's reddened erection and fisted it, eliciting an even louder response. "Naruto!" Sasuke opened his eyes and looked down to see the blonde pumping him, his cheeks a deep red and eyes open at half mass; lips open as he gasped for breath.

"Close?" Naruto questioned. All Sasuke could do was nod before closing his eyes again and biting down on his lower lip hard. Captured by a sudden urge, Naruto leaned down farther, gyrating his hips at a rough pace and pressed his lips against Sasuke's.

Accepting the kiss, Sasuke's mouth was immediately forced open for Naruto's tongue to explore with a needy passion. Their tongues ran over each other's, pants and moans escaping from locked lips. Sasuke's hands left the sheets of the bed and wrapped around Naruto's neck, gripping the blonde hair as if it were a lifeline. Naruto continued to pump Sasuke's erection, his other hand remaining on the Uchiha's pale waist to keep him from moving as he rocked both their bodies into ecstasy. Both of them could feel themselves reaching their climax, Sasuke's grip tightening on Naruto's hair and Naruto's pace fell into an animalistic rhythm, pushing both of them over the edge.

"Mmh-ah!" Sasuke broke the kiss, his head tilting backwards and breaking the kiss. Naruto's head slipped down to the crook of the Uchiha's neck and gently bit into the skin, sucking harshly to leave a hickey.

"Sas-Sasuke," Naruto moaned out quietly into the Uchiha's ear, he could feel Sasuke tense around him again, liquid spurting from Sasuke's erection and spraying his chest and his hand. Naruto lifted his head to see the euphoria on the Uchiha's face and the sight Sasuke lost in a daze of pleasure, parted lips and the tightness around him was enough to push him over the edge of his climax. Naruto could feel each spasm of Sasuke's muscles, milking the last of his orgasm as the blonde let Sasuke's legs fall to the side. They sat there for a few seconds, catching their breath. Slowly, Naruto pulled out and rolled to the side, lying on the blanket with his lover in a sweat.

"I missed you." Sasuke whispered to Naruto. He blinked as the haze of pleasure was fading into an afterglow of the tingling sensation. Naruto sighed softly and smiled.

"I missed you too." Naruto pulled the Uchiha close, wrapping his arms around the other in a warm embrace. "Can we stay like this for a while?" The blonde asked.

"Not angry anymore?" Sasuke rested his cheek against Naruto's shoulder and listened to the sound of their heartbeats slowing into a peaceful steady rhythm.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that." Naruto rubbed his hand over Sasuke's shoulder soothingly. "I don't really know why I got so mad." Sasuke sighed softly and closed his eyes, enjoying the blonde's embrace.

"I think I have a pretty good idea." Sasuke whispered after a few minutes. He felt Naruto shift but didn't seem to want to banter about why he got so mad.

"How do you feel?" He asked instead. Sasuke ran a hand through the blonde's hair and looked over Naruto's expression.

"A lot better," Sasuke muttered softly. "Thank you." He leaned forward and gave Naruto a quick peck on the lips. Naruto's feet entangled themselves with Sasuke's, tickling against the edge of the pillow.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Naruto asked. He felt Sasuke's hand slide down to his cheek, holding it gently. Sasuke thought about it for a moment, then smiled softly.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you in shower." Naruto grinned and pulled Sasuke off the bed with him, leading his lover by the hand to the shower.


	8. Thank You

**June 25th, the seventh week**

Sasuke talked, his voice barely louder than the sound of the shower as Naruto silently listened. The blonde watched and listened with such a calm it scared the Uchiha, this news was not something he expected the blonde to just listen to. His nervousness became evident as he talked through the whole shower. He washed his hair, let Naruto wash his back and clean him as he told Naruto all about Kyoko finding out just by looking. His time in the forest of death had been explained while they were redressing, slipping on new, clean clothes.

The blonde wore his favorite orange shirt and black pants, Sasuke in a short-sleeved blue shirt and a pair of Naruto's boxers, all of Sasuke's were mysteriously missing from the drawers of clothes. Naruto let out a short gasp of surprise when Sasuke explained Kyoko's show of Kyuubi's power. Sasuke stopped telling his story, letting Naruto voice his opposition.

"Sasuke, are you sure it was Kyuubi's chakra?" Naruto asked. His tone was worried, concerned. They moved to their couch, Naruto leaning against the armrest, Sasuke sitting next to him.

"I can show you." Sasuke activated his eyes, the Sharingan wheels standing still, waiting for the blonde to choose. Naruto's mind was racing, the thought of someone else holding the power of Kyuubi had been unthinkable and yet there had been another person out there dealing with the fox the same as he. Looking up, Naruto immediately shook his head.

"If you say you saw Kyuubi's chakra then you must have." Naruto watched as Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan and leaned onto Naruto's shoulder. "Why did she show up now though?" The blonde asked. He wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulder and felt Sasuke shift closer.

"She felt Kyuubi want to come back, he wouldn't let up until she did." Sasuke slipped his fingers into Naruto's hand and admired his calloused digits.

"Kyuubi did that? That doesn't seem like the fox." Naruto muttered. Sasuke could hear the frown on the blondes' lips.

"That's what I thought, turns out the girls seal is weak, it's poor, rushed work. If she hadn't been careful, Kyuubi would have killed her, broken free and terrorized the village." Sasuke responded. "She's smart, for her age." Sasuke's free hand drifted to his stomach, rubbing more circles across it. "Sort of."

"Is that a compliment to a near stranger coming out of your mouth?" Naruto smiled teasingly. He moved from leaning on the armrest to rest against Sasuke shoulder, shoving his tan face in the Uchiha's personal space. Sasuke watched the blonde from where he sat prone, trying to hold back a smile.

"Anko almost made her pee in her pants." Sasuke retorted. Naruto's grin turned from teasing to mischievous. "She has no social abilities and is a coward." The blonde's grin did not fade.

"So you didn't make her piss in her pants either?" Naruto nuzzled Sasuke's cheek with his own, fingers sneaking their way down the Uchiha's chest to his abdomen. Sasuke felt his lip muscles twitch upwards at the blonde's question and Naruto turned his head to kiss the Uchiha on the cheek.

"I promised her that I would strengthen the seal. Obviously if I don't, she'll die, you might die, the baby would be endanger and the whole village would be under attack by a supposedly sealed fox." Naruto seemed to mull this information over, his lips brushing Sasuke's skin gently.

"I understand that her seal needs to be strengthened but why doesn't she tell Obaa-san and let her help fix it?" Naruto lifted his free hand and ran it through Sasuke's hair.

"I told her not to, I won't let anyone cause any reason for more attention to be brought to us." Sasuke leaned his head towards Naruto's fingers, hand covering Naruto's over his stomach.

"And you won't risk the pregnancy being found out." Naruto finished. Smiling softly, Naruto kissed Sasuke on the head. "You're such a bastard, helping people out only to get what you want." Naruto joked.

"Helping people out is a coincidence, Dobe, the only reason I'd save Kyoko's and the villagers lives is if it meant saving yours." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders as if none of it really meant anything to him. Naruto couldn't help but laugh at what the Uchiha said. He tilted his head back and laughed, chest rising and falling quickly, bouncing Sasuke along with his laughter.

Sasuke frowned at the constant movement, moved to jab his free hand into the blonde's side. Finding Sasuke's jab to be painful, he almost stopped laughing. He grabbed Sasuke's moving arm and pulled the Uchiha into a kiss. Their lips moved against each other's as both pairs of eyes closed but neither attempted to deepen the kiss. Sasuke broke away first, moving to sit up on the couch and made Naruto reposition himself on the couch.

"Dobe." Sasuke muttered, a blush on his cheeks.

"So earlier you said that you might know why I got so angry, wanna spill?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders.

"When you came home earlier, you smelled Kyoko on me and got angry." Sasuke started, he turned to watch the blonde's expression. "When you stepped into the shower, there was a ring of red in your eyes."

"Kyuubi's chakra." Naruto frowned and leaned forward himself.

"The first time I saw it was when we were in the compound together. I didn't know what to think of it, then I met Kyoko during the exam and then it happened again in the shower." Sasuke muttered.

"So what am I supposed to do, I can't let Kyuubi's chakra slip out when I get a little mad." Naruto frowned and sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"Just be more aware of yourself when you get angry, and Kyuubi's chakra." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. Naruto huffed and wrapped an arm around Sasuke's shoulder, leaning his head against Sasuke's.

"Easier said than done, Teme." Naruto felt Sasuke shrug his shoulders again and moved to stand up, making the blonde straighten so as not to fall over.

"I'll need you to borrow some scrolls from the library about strengthening pre-existing seals," Sasuke spoke louder as he got off the couch. "You can go do that while I start the laundry." Naruto watched with a grin on his face as the Uchiha looked around.

"I think there'll be too much to do to make dinner Teme," Naruto stood up and casually stretched, trying to make his grin disappear. "Want to go me at Ichiraku's for dinner?" Sasuke glanced at the blond sharply, quickly weighing the pros and cons of going to Naruto's favorite restaurant.

"The only way we're going to Ichiraku's tonight is if you tell me exactly where all my underwear are, Dobe." Sasuke smirked when Naruto's expression went from trying to hide his smirk to one of great distress.

"But, Sasuke-" Naruto attempted to begin to persuade the Uchiha but Sasuke shook his head, his mind already made up.

"Or you can eat whatever you make for yourself and I go to bed after the laundry is done." Sasuke turned and walked away from the blonde, heading to strip the bed of its blanket and sheets.

"All your underwear is in a trash bag under the kitchen sink!" Naruto cried out, watching Sasuke glance over his shoulder with a smirk on his face.

"Go get the scrolls and I'll meet you at Ichiraku's in half an hour okay?" Sasuke asked. Naruto crossed his arms, sulking that he had given up his hiding spot of Sasuke's boxers for only a single dinner at Ichiraku's but nodded all the same.

* * *

**July 2nd, the eighth week**

Sasuke's mind jolted out of his REM sleep. He felt queasy, like he was going to be sick. Opening his eyes, the Uchiha knew he had a limited amount of time before the inevitable happened. Quickly disentangling himself from the clean sheets of the bed and Naruto's embrace, Sasuke scrambled over the blonde, heading straight for the bathroom. Stirring, Naruto reached out for his lover but found only a warm spot in the sheets where Sasuke had just been. Cracking his eyes open, Naruto confirmed that the Uchiha was not in bed. It was just as he was about to fall back asleep did he hear retching sounds coming from their bathroom.

Growing more alert, Naruto blinked and rolled over, unsure if he was really hearing someone throw up in the bathroom. The puking continued and Naruto's foggy brain reached out for any information as to why Sasuke would be throwing up. Sasuke was pregnant, a symptom of pregnancy was morning sickness and therefore Sasuke was going through morning sickness. Satisfied with the conclusion he came up with, Naruto sat up and yawned.

Getting off the bed, the blonde stretched and headed for the bathroom. He wanted to make sure Sasuke was okay. Sasuke was kneeling over the toilet, hands gripping the edge of the porcelain bowl like a lifeline when the blonde found him. Kneeling down next to the Uchiha, Naruto pulled back the other man's bangs and waited for the heaving to subside. Sasuke felt the blonde's warm fingers against his chilled skin and mentally thanked the idiot for the gesture as his stomach rebelled against his will.

"Fuck." Sasuke growled after another wave of nausea hit him. "I hate this." Naruto sighed and used his free hand to pat Sasuke's back gently. The Uchiha was going to say more but his throat was filled with bile and what was left of his digested dinner.

"There, there, it's almost over." Naruto murmured soothingly. He watched as Sasuke shuddered and sat back, his grip on the toilet bowl relaxed; puke dribbling down his chin as he took a deep breath of fresh air.

"This is just the beginning, Dobe." Sasuke grunted while wiping away the crap from his chin onto his arm. "It won't be the last time I'll be running to the bathroom in the morning." Sasuke flushed the toilet and stood up, watching Naruto stand up with him.

"Relax, Sasuke," Naruto watched as the Uchiha moved to the sink to wash the puke from his hand. "You don't need to get so worked up about puking." Trying to find a way to comfort his lover, Naruto hugged Sasuke from behind and rest his chin on his shoulder.

"It's just a really bad way to wake up in the morning." Sasuke shut off the water and reached for a towel to dry off his hands. "And it's going to be happening a lot." The Uchiha looked up into the mirror to see Naruto watching him with apologetic blue eyes.

"Anything I can do to help?" The blonde asked. Sasuke shook his head and shifted, Naruto released him and followed the dark haired male out of the bathroom.

"So are you still thinking about moving into the compound?" Naruto sat down next to the Uchiha on the bed, wrapping an arm around Sasuke's shoulders comfortingly. Sasuke was quiet for a moment, focusing on letting his stomach settle instead of answering the blondes' question.

"I'll need a quiet place to work on Kyoko's seal, far away from where people can walk in. The compound offers that." Sasuke looked down at his hands disinterestedly before looking up into Naruto's bright blue eyes. "If we live in my grandparents house, I think I could handle it." Naruto grinned. He leaned forward, kissed Sasuke on the cheek before Sasuke pushed him off and wiped his cheek with the back of his hand.

"That's great, when do you want to start moving in?" Naruto asked. He smiled happily and wrapped arms around Sasuke's shoulders, planting a big wet sloppy kiss on the Uchiha's temple.

"Stop that, Dobe!" Sasuke growled in slight annoyance. He wrestled with Naruto, attempting to free himself from the onslaught of affection. Naruto released Sasuke after a light scuffle, watching Sasuke get up while the blonde still lay on the bed, content to relax there.

"I'm going to talk to the manager about our lease today, then go see about making arrangements for living in the compound." Sasuke muttered. He wiped away the slobber off of his face and gave a pointed stare to the idiot.

"Arrangements?" Naruto asked. He tilted his head, ignoring the stare as he innocently looked up at the Uchiha. Sighing, Sasuke rolled his eyes. He opened a cabinet door and pulled out an unmarked bottle. He opened it, popped a pill, replaced the cap and set the bottle back in its place.

"Getting electricity back into the compound, make sure all the pipes aren't rusted for water to run through them." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "Those kind of arrangements." Naruto sighed and looked up to the ceiling.

"I feel bad, going out on a mission and leaving you here to deal with it all." The blonde muttered. He glanced back up at Sasuke who was yet again, rolling his eyes at Naruto.

"And if you quit taking missions we would run out of money and get kicked out of our apartment before we can really move into the compound." Sasuke rebutted. Naruto sat up and stretched, making a slightly annoyed expression.

"Teme, stop being right all the time." Naruto whined. Sasuke rolled his eyes and motioned his hand at the blonde, waving him off. The Uchiha moved towards the kitchen and felt the blonde follow him.

"Someone's got to be right Dobe and you're too stupid for the job." Sasuke opened a few cabinets, searched through the refrigerator and slammed the door shut angrily. "What do you want to eat?" Sasuke asked. Naruto frowned and walked into the kitchen, leaning against the back of the chair. He knew Sasuke didn't really mean it when he called him stupid, the Teme was just in a bad mood.

"Whatever you want Sasuke or are you not hungry?" The blonde asked. Sasuke shook his head and moved to look through the cabinets a second time. "You should really eat breakfast, you did throw up five minutes ago." Naruto watched with concern as Sasuke bustled about.

"I know but I'm not hungry. Just pick something to eat and I'll eat some too." Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, waiting for him to respond. At first Naruto thought seriously about it and then he had an idea. With a grin spreading on his face, Naruto walked up next to the Uchiha and opened a cabinet door.

"I don't know, how about," Naruto paused and shut the cabinet door before smiling at his lover. "Ramen?" Sasuke blinked, the question taking longer than normal for it to sink in. Sasuke's seemingly calm expression soured and the Uchiha slammed a cabinet door shut.

"No, that stuff is going to make me puke." Sasuke turned away angrily and looked back into the refrigerator. "I'm making you toast." Naruto wasn't fazed by Sasuke's rejection; it definitely wasn't the first time it had happened. The blonde sat back down at the kitchen table, grinning as his lover got bread ready to be toasted. Sasuke seemed to calm down; his anger fading as quickly as it had arose. Naruto watched as Sasuke put bread into the toaster and pressed the toast button, he turned around and leaned against the counter, looking right back at the blonde.

"What?" Sasuke asked. Naruto shrugged his shoulders, not breaking eye contact.

"How far along are you again?" Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes, the toast popped out and Sasuke turned around, rubbing a hand over his stomach.

"This is about the end of the seventh week, start of the eighth." Sasuke muttered as he pulled toast from the toaster, buttering them with ease. Naruto nodded, knowing Sasuke wasn't looking at him. "Why?" Sasuke turned around and set two small plates on the table before moving back to the refrigerator to get drinks.

"I'm wondering when you're going to start showing, I'm trying to imagine it." Naruto tilted his head as he stared at the Uchiha's backside, still trying to see it.

"Hn." Sasuke responded. He pulled out a milk carton, grabbed two cups and filled them with milk. "You're a pervert, Dobe." The Uchiha looked back with a grin as he put the milk away and set both glasses on the table. Naruto straightened and leaned over the table indignantly.

"I am not!" Naruto cried out. Sasuke gave him a look of disbelief as he picked up a piece of toast and bit off an edge. "I'm just trying to imagine my lover's body when he's as a big as a whale." Sasuke swallowed and shook his head, Naruto watching him with a lopsided grin as he stuffed half a piece of toast into his mouth.

"You're going to regret saying that, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke muttered. He frowned and took another small bite out of his toast as he watched the blonde inhale the rest of his toast.

"What? No sex?" Naruto's voice was muffled as he swallowed toast, then grabbed a glass of milk and started to chug it. Sasuke scrunched his nose for a brief second before raising an eyebrow as an idea came to him.

"No, when I'm craving something in the middle of the night I'm going make you go get it for me. And if you don't I'll make you sleep on the couch." Sasuke smirked when Naruto choked on his milk and coughed it up obnoxiously.

Sasuke took a third bite of his toast and watched the blonde panic. "You wouldn't kick me out of bed!" Naruto cried out. The blonde gave Sasuke a wide eyes look of desperation but Sasuke just smirked.

"Hn, Dobe. You'll just have to go get me whatever I'm craving." Sasuke watched as Naruto pushed his toast away and set his head on the table. The blonde groaned in defeat. "Finish your toast, if I have to eat then you have to too." The Uchiha took a bigger bite of toast, munching softly.

Lifting his head up and resting his chin on the table, Naruto softly glared at his lover, knowing it would have no effect. "Why are you so mean to me?" Naruto asked.

"Because I love you." Sasuke's response was immediate. Naruto didn't react at first, still staring at Sasuke as the Uchiha met the blonde's bright blue eyes. Smashing his face against the table again, Naruto let out a groan.

"You are so unfair, asshole." Naruto glumly sat back up and finished the last bit of his toast with one bite. Sasuke picked up his milk and took a sip of it, unaffected. "But when are you going to start showing, do you know?"

"Next few weeks I guess," Sasuke dropped his toast and leaned back in his chair. "I'm going to feel it before we see it though." Naruto nodded, looking down at the table before smiling and looking back at Sasuke. Rising from his seat, Naruto moved around the table, leaning against it as he picked up Sasuke's toast. Sasuke watched the blonde move closer and hold up the toast for him, watching with a blank face.

"Open wide, Sasuke." Naruto sang, moving the toast closer and closer to the Uchiha's mouth. Sasuke looked down at the toast and then back up at the blonde.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked. Naruto continued to grin and raised his free hand to lift Sasuke's chin upwards.

"I finished my breakfast, now you have to too. Say 'ah'." Naruto leaned in even closer, still smiling. Sasuke had two choices, he could see if he could push the blonde to stop or accept the offered toast.

"What do you think I am? A baby?" Sasuke asked incredulously. He looked back down at the toast Naruto was offering him.

"No, but I want to practice for when we actually have a baby, so open up." Naruto wouldn't give in. "Besides, someone needs to relax and not be so grouchy." Sasuke sighed and gave in, opening his mouth just enough for the blonde to slip a part of the toast inside his mouth. Biting down on the toasted bread, Sasuke took it and chewed, glancing up at Naruto with an indignant expression. "See? That wasn't so bad." Naruto grinned and set down the toast, wiping his hands together to rid himself of the crumbs. Sasuke chewed and swallowed, his expression turning deviant.

"Pervert." Sasuke said. He picked up his milk again and took another drink, Naruto's jaw dropped and he started sputtering in his response.

"No! Sasuke!" Naruto cried out. Sasuke ignored him and picked up the toast and ate a bite of it by himself. The blonde made a concerned face and thought about his course of action momentarily. Realizing what he wanted to do, Naruto stood up, brushed the seat of his pants off and promptly sat himself down on Sasuke's lap. Surprised, Sasuke sat there, the toast between his teeth, eyes wide as he blinked, once, then twice.

"Well, if I'm such a pervert then you must be too, it's your turn to feed me." The blonde gazed lustily down at his lover and leaned forward. He wrapped his lips around a small area of the toast sticking out of Sasuke's mouth and took a bite, ripping the toast in half as Sasuke watched. Grinning happily, Naruto chewed the toast, wrapping his arms around his lovers shoulder. Sasuke chewed his own toast, furrowing his eyebrows together as he wanted to say something but couldn't with his mouth full. As soon as Sasuke swallowed, the next thing he did was respond to the blonde's actions.

"Pervert." Sasuke said as soon as he swallowed. Naruto pulled back, frowning at the Uchiha.

"Damn it, Teme!" Naruto whined. Sasuke smirked up at his lover, enjoying their banter. "I can never win with you." The blonde pouted.

"Of course, someone's got to keep your ego in check." Sasuke raised his eyebrows, daring the blonde to contradict him. "Now, get ready for your mission, I'll take care of everything here until you get back." Jerking his head towards the dresser, Sasuke took a sip of milk.

"I'll only be gone a day, two at most." Naruto got off the table and gripped the hem of his shirt before pulling it over his head. Sasuke finished the milk and set the empty glass down, watching his lover undress. "They might have me do a few more overnighters this week too, Tsunade didn't say but Kakashi mentioned it."

"More than enough time to start packing." Sasuke answered. "I do the packing you do the moving." He watched Naruto turn around, wiggle his eyebrows suggestively and drop his boxers.

"Deal." Naruto turned around and went to the dresser, showing his buttocks to the Uchiha. Smirking, Sasuke got up and took the plates and cups to the sink to wash them.

"Naruto," Sasuke called out softly. Said blonde looked back to the Uchiha, blinking curiously. "Thank you." Naruto smiled just as Sasuke looked over to the blonde, felt his face heat up and looked away. Naruto could see Sasuke's ear flush bright red, creeping down to his neck. Silence fell upon them easily; they were comfortable in it and didn't need to speak as they prepared for the day. Naruto dressed and Sasuke cleaned the dishes, setting them in the dishwasher for later. By the time Sasuke joined Naruto, the blondes' boxers in his hands, Naruto was zipping up his chuunin vest.

"Don't fight too much with our landlord, okay?" Sasuke smirked at the blonde's plea as he pulled on his pants.

"I'll give him as much trouble as he gives me." Sasuke looked up to see his blonde silently chuckling as he tightened his headband on. The landlord hadn't cared two shits about Naruto and Sasuke and the Uchiha didn't like being ignored when the ceiling leaked on a rainy days or when the electricity went out for days at a time.

"I'll be back soon, 'kay, Teme?" Naruto leaned over, tilting his head to kiss Sasuke on the cheek. Sasuke had other plans though; he turned his head just in time for their lips to press against each other.

Surprised, Naruto's eyes widened and Sasuke wrapped his arms around the blonde's shoulders, pulling their bodies close. Moving his lips against Naruto's, Sasuke ran his hand through the blonde hair and felt Naruto wrapped his arms around the Uchiha's waist. Making a small noise in the back of his throat, Sasuke felt Naruto take control of the kiss. Naruto gently bit down on Sasuke's lower lip before pressing his lips against Sasuke's softly.

"Don't do anything stupid." Sasuke whispered. Both their eyes opened and they stared at each other for a few seconds before Naruto smiled and Sasuke blushed, looking away.

"Of course not! What do you think I am, an idiot?" Naruto grinned when Sasuke shoved the blonde away to grab his shirt. Laughing, Naruto waited for Sasuke to pull the shirt over his head, the Uchiha's arms stuck inside the shirt before planting a sloppy wet kiss on his lover's forehead. With a cry of indignation, Sasuke jerked away from the blonde, falling onto the bed as Naruto dashed to the front door.

"Dobe!" Sasuke cried out from the bed.

"Bye, Sasuke! I'll see you later!" Naruto called out. He opened the door and ran through it, slamming the door behind him. Sasuke grunted angrily, a little frustrated at the blondes' escape. Pulling on his shirt, Sasuke got back onto his two feel and looked around the small apartment. A lot needed to get done. Sasuke knocked for a third time on the landlord's door. He knew the guy was in there; he was just taking his sweet ass time. When the beer-bellied man opened the door, he gave Sasuke a look and then stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"I'm assuming this is official business?" Sasuke nodded and the man stepped past the Uchiha, walking into the small office. A door was closed on the other side of the room that most likely led to the landlords own apartment. "You aren't complaining about neighbors are you? I get enough of that from your neighbors." He turned around, giving Sasuke a questioning look.

"No, I'm not making a complaint." Sasuke shook his and watched as the older man turned back around, fishing for the keys in his pocket.

"Good, good." The landlord motioned for the Uchiha to take a seat as he did so himself.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Uchiha?" The landlord rubbed his eyes tiredly and looked at his desk, shuffling papers around.

"I'm here about Naruto's lease and my sublease." Sasuke started. The landlord sighed deeply, his eyes widening as he realized what the Uchiha wanted. "We want to end it three months early." Sasuke watched as the landlord stood straighter in his seat, opening a drawer where he pulled out a folder.

"Three months early, yes, you're very good at keeping track of things." The man mumbled as he opened the file and looked through it. "Mr. Uzumaki has had an apartment here for…"

"Twelve years, almost thirteen now." Sasuke finished. The man was starting to get on his nerves and he didn't even know his name. The man ran his hand through his unkempt hair and yawned.

"Since he was six yes." The landlord closed the file and rested his head on his hand, looking at the Uchiha tiredly. "If it's not top secret, may I ask where you two will be moving to?" Sasuke studied the man for a moment.

"The Uchiha compound." He said finally. The landlord's reaction took a moment and then relief finally crossed his face. Sasuke found it surprising that a man who hardly ever talked to Naruto would be worried about where he was moving too rather than being happy that Kyuubi's container was finally moving out of his apartment complex.

"Good, I won't get any more complaints of you two being loud in the middle of the night." The man attempted to hide his relief with sarcasm, though he probably knew Sasuke could see right through it.

"I want to know what you expect from us, for the lease." Sasuke crossed his arms, waiting to see what the man would do. The landlord opened the file again, running his hand through his mess of hair again.

"Hmm, well I do believe that since Naruto has been my tenant for so long three months won't really matter. If you give me the date that you'll be completely moved out of the apartment everything will be squared away and Mr. Uzumaki can have his safety deposit back within a week." The landlord looked up with a smile, happy with his own choice on the situation. Sasuke was perplexed for a moment. The man was actually being nice to him and Naruto; it was a rare thing to happen. It took him a second to realize it was actually occurring. The landlord was letting them break their lease without paying an extra fine; they didn't even have to pay for the three months left on the lease.

"Is that everything we need to discuss?" The landlord asked. He closed the file again and replaced it in the desk drawer, still smiling. "Cause I'd like to get a shower before I start the rest of my day." Shaking his head, Sasuke rose from the seat and held out his hand. This time it was the landlord to be surprised, his smile disappearing as he instinctively took Sasuke's hand, shaking it weakly, confusedly.

"Thank you," Sasuke curtly muttered before pulling his hand out of the handshake. He briskly walked to the door, opened it and closed it behind him. He hated thanking people and actually felt a little bad about not knowing the man's name.

It wasn't noon yet and Sasuke was itching to get to a training field. He still needed to talk to the electric company about getting electricity back into the compound and he had to check the pipes of his grandparent's house before he could turn the water on. He would have to first go to the Hokage tower, ask for the paperwork to get the electricity back up and then go to the Uchiha compound to check the pipes. Maybe he would be able to look through his grandparents' things, move them to another house before Naruto got a hold of them and tried to do something stupid.

It was a lot to do and without Naruto, it was going to be a lot harder than he admit it would be. As he got further into the pregnancy, Sasuke could feel himself getting, not tired, fatigued maybe. He knew it was a symptom of pregnancy, knew it would happen but actually feeling it was a whole other story. Upon reaching the tower, Sasuke went the opposite direction than where he usually went. Going up the tower to the Hokage's office was where ninja went to receive and report missions. Going down the tower, that was where the people who kept the village running, working. Taking his time, Sasuke walked down the stairs until reached the floor that supposedly dealt with electricity.

The room he walked into had no door or windows, the fluorescent lights making the place seem dark. A few desks were spread across the room, a fake plant in one of the corners. Two of the people behind the desks had their feet on top of the desks, one balancing a pencil between his nose and lips, the other snoring softly. A third person, an older woman was deftly writing away on a scroll. She seemed to notice his presence and stopped what she was doing to look up. She set down her brush quietly and nodded to him.

"Can I help you with anything?" She called out softly. Sasuke came closer, scrutinizing her. Graying hair tied in a bun, old, traditional clothes and a neat hand with a brush. Sasuke nodded and walked towards her, the male that was awake glanced over at him but kept the pencil balanced on his face.

"I'm looking to turn the electricity back on in the Uchiha compound." Sasuke muttered. He got straight to the point and noticed the older woman give a look of recognition as he came closer.

"Oh, yes! I was wondering when you would walk into our office." The lady smiled kindly at him. "I've already had my associates here," She glanced over to the two others in the room. "Go and attempt to see what they could do but it seems like the whole compound is wired. It would take more effort to rewire the whole compound than to just turn the electricity on."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows in surprise; he hadn't expected them to have already figured it out. "I see," Looking over at the two, older than him but younger than the lady he was talking to, Sasuke watched as the man that was awake let the pencil slip from it's resting place. The man scrambled to pick it back up, becoming flustered.

"We can have it turned on by this afternoon if you would like, or anytime that would work for you. We're very flexible here." The woman continued. "Though you'll have to flip the switch in the houses you plan on using, from what the records show all the switches were turned off before the compound was sealed which will minimize your electricity bill."

"What about the paperwork?" Sasuke asked. He blinked, curious as why this day was becoming easier and easier as the minutes passed by.

"Well, the Hokage thought you would want to move back into the compound at some point. She had everything taken care of weeks ago." Sasuke's eyebrows rose in shock. This was not something he had seen the Hokage doing.

"Oh," Sasuke lacked a better answer. The woman in front of him smiled kindly and folded her hands on the desk.

"Surprised? She said you might be. Any time you'd like for us to turn the electricity back on we'd be more than glad to. Did you have a specific date in mind?" She kept smiling, waiting for Sasuke to give her a date. Quickly recovering, Sasuke thought of when he and Naruto would need electricity in the compound.

"In a week, if you have time." Sasuke watched as the woman's smile widened. He heard the male that wasn't asleep chuckle quietly.

"We have more than enough time, we can do it at a specific time if you really needed it." The man laughed. Sasuke nodded and turned back to the woman.

"Anytime that day would be great. Thank you all for the help." Sasuke nodded to the woman, nearly bowing as she smiled and nodded back. She picked up her brush and started to write again and Sasuke nodded to the adult who was trying to rebalance the pencil on his nose while looking at him before walking out.

Sasuke had planned to go to the compound next, hide anything the blonde might get into but now he needed to visit the Hokage. Making his way back to the ground level of the tower, he took the steps that led to the higher levels. On his way up, he passed Shizune and TonTon. The Hokage's right hand woman nodded to him kindly, hands full with a stack of scrolls and documents. TonTon oinked his approval of his presence as he followed Shizune down the stairs carefully. As Sasuke passed he heard the pig stop and sniff the air before chasing after Shizune, oinking confusedly. Without looking back, Sasuke tensed. He heard Shizune stop at the bottom of the staircase and turned to look down at her animal friend.

"What is it, TonTon?" She asked. TonTon oinked excitedly as Sasuke reached the top of the stairs and turned to walk down the hallway, giving the two a quick glance. "TonTon, its just Sasuke. What are you so hyped up about?" She asked. TonTon oinked one more time dejectedly before looking back up at Sasuke as he disappeared from view. "You're such a silly pig, why don't I get you a treat after I get these put away." Sasuke could hear Shizune's voice and he let out a small sigh of relief. He had forgotten that pigs had an enhanced sense of smell, he didn't know if he smelled pregnant but obviously TonTon had picked up on it. The pig would ruin everything if he didn't take more care. Luckily, Shizune didn't think anything of TonTon's attempt to call attention to him and he wasn't going to let the pig have the chance again.

Upon reaching the Hokage's office, he knocked on the door and waited for the Hokage to allow him inside. Instead of Tsunade's voice commanding to come in, the door opened and the familiar faces of team eight. They filed out the door, each, save Shino, giving him a smile. He watched as Kiba walked past, giving him a wide grin. Nodding back to the Inuzuka, Sasuke was sure to wait until they all had passed, he didn't want his scent to waft past Kiba's nose and have him getting curious too. Once the three were out the door, Sasuke himself walked inside.

The Hokage was reclining in her chair, scowling at a pile of paperwork that lay on her desk. She looked up to see Sasuke standing in front of the door as it closed. "What do you want now, Uchiha?" She asked.

"I went and talked to Naruto's landlord today, the people who keep electricity running through the village as well." Sasuke stepped forward in front of the Hokage's desk and crossed his arms over his chest. Giving the Hokage a blank stare, Sasuke watched as the older woman sat up straight and sighed heavily.

"Don't be such a brat, Uchiha, I made your life a little easier so the least you could do is thank me." She raised her eyebrows. For the third time that day, in less than four ours, Sasuke uttered the words he had not uttered to anyone but Naruto to for years.

"Thank you." Sasuke looked away, disgruntled. "But I'd appreciate it more if you'd stop getting into our business." He heard Tsunade chuckle, looked back up but her face was set in a grim, almost bored expression.

"You know I can't do that," She shrugged her shoulders and leaned back into her chair, seemingly much happier than before Sasuke had walked into her office. "I have the obligation to make sure a newly reinstated ninja doesn't bother the civilians any more than you and the brat already have been doing." By now, Tsunade was full out smirking and all Sasuke could do was look away from the Hokage, annoyed.

"If that's all you came in here to say then by all means you are free to leave at any time." Tsunade smirked as Sasuke immediately turned and high tailed it out of the office, arms still crossed.

He was grateful the woman had gone and done all the hard work for him but he didn't like the fact that the whole time he had been worried she had found out about the baby. For a moment she had really scared him, he had almost thought that she had found out, figured out in some way that he was pregnant. He didn't want her to know, didn't want her to try to dictate how or if he was going to have this baby and relief washed over him quicker than he could get out of the room. It didn't take long for Sasuke to get out of the tower, he was starting to feel stressed but before he could go train he needed to visit his grandparents' house.

* * *

He had been standing in front of his grandparents' house for maybe five minutes. Sasuke was completely alone, not another soul was inside the compound and he felt it. Complete silence, there were no birds chirping or echoes of kids playing. Nothing. It felt like ghosts were surrounding him, he could remember seeing his grandparents standing together in front of the door, smiling at him. Being back at the compound reminded him of his family, brought back memories he had thought he had forgotten. Memories he wanted to forget.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke walked down the path, up the steps and opened the door. He and Naruto hadn't locked it upon leaving the last time. The barrier of the whole compound was enough protection for the house. Walking inside, he looked around the dark, empty house. Sunlight poured in from the open doorway, dust particles floating in the air. He looked around the house, debating about what he would do first.

Deciding to make the house seem at least a little brighter, Sasuke moved to the closest window and pulled the curtains apart, sunlight pouring in. Going a step further, Sasuke opened the window. It was the beginning of July; the weather was perfect, if not a little hot. Warmth tickled his skin and Sasuke smiled softly. Naruto was like the sun, it made him feel a little less alone now that the sun was brightening up the empty house. Sasuke spent the next few minutes moving from one room to the next, pulling apart curtains and opening the windows.

One he was sure he had gotten all of the windows; he went back to the first room and pulled the two sheets off of the first piece of furniture. Dust spread rapidly, making Sasuke's nose itch and eyes water. Dropping the sheets onto the floor and folding them over once, Sasuke went to the next piece of furniture. He did the same to all of the furniture in the room. With all of the sheets in a semi-neat pile, he picked them up and walked outside with them.

The air was hot, noon had come and gone, the sun shining down on him from a position of about one or one-thirty. Taking the pile of sheets, Sasuke dumped them on the path just outside the door of the house. Dusting his hands off, Sasuke went back into the house and went to the next room. He did this process again and again until he had gotten the very last sheet out of the house. Everything was dusty, he would have to sweep before Naruto came back.

Looking around, Sasuke went to his grandparents' bedroom, it was the most likely place he would find things that needed to be taken out of the house before he and Naruto moved into it. The drawers of the dressers held clothes and Sasuke tentatively looked through them. It still felt a little strange that he was looking through his grandparent's things and once he was finished with the dressers he went looking through desks, finding nothing but papers, unsent letters and pens.

Shutting the last drawer of the desk with a loud slam. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. There wasn't anything really there for him to move out of the house before Naruto started to make a mess of everything. Going to the hallway closet, Sasuke pulled out a broom and dustpan and started to sweep up the mounds of dust that had accumulated over the years. He would check the pipes afterwards.


	9. Moving In

**July 2nd, still the eighth week**

Shifting for the umpteenth time in the last hour, Sasuke smacked his pillow and growled. He was frustrated.

After a decent work out, Sasuke went home. He showered and dressed, ate a light lunch of some rice and vegetables and immediately went out to buy cardboard boxes and tape. He had spent the rest of his day packing. It was mostly clothes and books, some kitchen appliances. Before he knew it, he had packed half of the apartment. Deciding to stop, Sasuke had made himself dinner and started to work on Kyoko's seal.

Since he had seen the seal with his Sharingan and thus, remembered every detail of it. He already had Naruto's seal down in memory and could easily spot the differences between them. Sasuke took a blank scroll and brush, drawing out both seals onto it in perfect detail. Once he finished drawing, them he took to spotting each difference in the seals, writing down what they were. When he was working on the seal, for the baby, Sasuke had memorized a great deal of symbols on Naruto's seal and saw many of the same components on Kyoko's. He could tell which ones were weak and for some, Sasuke could barely make out what they actually were. It looked like the seal tattooed on her skin had just cracked apart and flaked off.

Sasuke had asked Naruto to get scrolls with ways of how to fix a weak seal and he was pretty sure a way to repaint the seals together would be in there. Once he figured out most of what he needed to do to stabilize the base of it he rolled the scroll up and set it in a box that was filled with others. He would know what needed to be fixed and repaired but he didn't know how it all worked in the end, the seal as a whole was too complex for the small amount of time he had spent studying it. As of now he needed to know what needed to be fixed, everything else could wait. After that, he got into bed and lay there, waiting for sleep to come but it never did. Two hours later, well past midnight, Sasuke was lying there, punching his pillow because sleep would not come.

Realizing that he wasn't going to fall asleep any time soon, Sasuke got up and went to bathroom. Just lying in bed not being asleep made him need to relieve himself. Walking into the bathroom, he didn't bother turning on the light, his eyes already adjusted to the dark.

As he was doing his business, he heard the door unlock and open. Sasuke could feel Naruto's presence and continued doing his business. He heard the blonde shuffle around outside of the bathroom then silence followed by more shuffling. From the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw a dark figure in the doorway of the bathroom, coming closer. Glancing at Naruto, Sasuke immediately looked away again, finishing his business. Warm arms wrapped around him, a body pressing up against his backside. Breath tickled the hair on the back of Sasuke's neck and hands slide down the Uchiha's arms.

"I'm home." Naruto's voice whispered into the Uchiha's ear. A tingling sensation travelled down Sasuke's spine as he finished his business and readjusted himself, Naruto's arms moving with him. It was only when he moved to flush the toilet that Naruto let go, standing behind the shorter man and waiting for him to finish washing his hands. Once said Uchiha was done, he walked out of the bathroom, Naruto following close behind.

"Why so quiet?" Sasuke asked. He slid back into bed, leaving the covers open for Naruto but no second person made the bed dip. Slightly irritated by the lack of his human pillow, Sasuke turned around and looked up at Naruto's figure.

"I had to kill someone today." Naruto muttered. The reason he hadn't immediately gotten in bed with his lover was that he was taking off his shirt. Tossing it to the floor, the blonde dropped his pants and stepped out of them before finally getting into the bed.

"You alright?" At this point, Sasuke could see Naruto's eyes and was glad to see that there was no ring of red anywhere to be seen. The blonde scooted close to Sasuke until Sasuke was forced to move his head off the pillow and onto Naruto's chest.

"I'll be okay…if you tell me you love me." Naruto gave a small hopeful smile in the dark and Sasuke lifted his head almost immediately to kiss the blonde's slightly chapped lips.

"I love you." Sasuke gave Naruto a chaste kiss.

"Tell me again." The blonde leaned forward for another kiss. Sasuke let himself be kissed again, their lips brushing against each other.

"I love you," He whispered again through the kiss. "I missed you." Sasuke moved his head and pressed his lips against the blonde's and felt Naruto's tongue reach out, trying to deepen the kiss. Almost immediately, Sasuke broke the kiss and pressed his face into the slightly sweaty crook of the blonde's neck.

The blonde didn't pursue Sasuke's lips, he quietly sighed and held the Uchiha tighter. Naruto could be patient and this was better than being ignored. "I see you got some packing done, did you get everything else figured out?" Naruto asked. Sasuke inhaled quietly and stretched out, his eyelids beginning to feel very heavy.

"Mhm," Sasuke sighed. "The Hokage took care of the electricity and the landlord though." He looked up at Sasuke, resting his head on Naruto's chest. Sasuke watched as Naruto's facial expression went from confused to incredulous.

"That old hag did that?" Naruto asked. "She must have pissed you off, right?" He looked down and smiled. Sasuke made a disgruntled face and looked down, rubbing his cheek on Naruto's warm skin.

"Let's just say I wasn't happy walking in or out of her office this morning." Sasuke muttered. He felt Naruto's chest fall and rise in quick succession, silently laughing. "Not funny." Sasuke grumbled. He closed his eyes and yawned.

"Of course, not funny." Naruto iterated. The grin was in his voice and Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut. "When do you want to move all our stuff into the compound?"

Naruto's arm wrapped Sasuke's shoulder tighter. "I asked them to turn on the electricity in a week. We can move most of our stuff a little each day and be completely moved in by the end of the week." Sasuke muttered. "Now go to sleep Dobe, we can finish talking tomorrow."

"Thank you, Teme." Naruto shifted one last time as Sasuke grunted softly in acknowledgment. Both males drifted off to sleep easily, lying contentedly in each other's arms.

* * *

**July 9th, the ninth week**

Seven days passed by quickly, Naruto left for day long missions, sometimes getting back early in the afternoon to help Sasuke pack things up or run them over to the compound.

On the seventh day, Naruto had left Sasuke to clean up after another bout of morning sickness to see if he could get anyone to help him and Sasuke move the rest of their furniture. As soon as Sasuke had dressed and brushed his teeth, Naruto was opening the door with someone in tow. Walking out of the bathroom, Sasuke was immediately attacked by a person with bright pink hair. Sakura made an excited squealing sound and then let go, realizing she had reverted back to her old ways.

"Sasuke! It's been so long since I've seen you! Why do you never come visit me?" She smiled teasingly and backed off, looking up at the Uchiha.

"You see me now don't you?" Sasuke motioned to the apartment. "I've been busy cleaning out this apartment while Naruto goes out with you." Giving the blonde a look, Sakura turned her head to see the blonde shrug his shoulders sheepishly.

"What can I say? I gotta get out of the house, can't stand to be around you all the time." Naruto walked right up to the Uchiha, wrapped an arm around said males waste and planted a deep kiss on his lips.

Sasuke let himself be kissed and when Naruto pulled back, Sasuke stepped out of the blonde's embrace and walked over to Sakura. "I don't know Usuratonkachi, I might just leave you if you keep talking like that. See if I can get Sakura to take me back." Naruto watched with a smile on his face and raised eyebrows. Sasuke turned to give Naruto a smirk, Sakura looked up and Sasuke leaned down to kiss her cheek gently. Straightening back up, Sasuke saw Sakura blushing lightly, Naruto frowning childishly.

"Jealous?" The Uchiha asked. Naruto looked over to Sakura who had put a hand over her cheek and was looking between her two friends. Walking back over to Naruto, he wrapped his arms around the blonde's shoulder.

"No," Naruto couldn't hold back a lopsided grin as he looked into Sasuke's eyes. "You can't leave me, you love me." Sasuke raised his eyebrows mockingly, cocking his head to the side by just a fraction.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered quietly. Just as he was about to lean up to kiss the blonde again, Sakura coughed. Sasuke and Naruto stood still for a moment, remembering that she had been there the whole time. Finally, Naruto allowed Sasuke to pull away, both of them glancing to the pink haired chuunin.

"You guys have really come a long way since," She hesitated, knowing that saying the wrong thing could easily put both of them in a tense mood. "Since we were younger." She smiled softly. Naruto grinned back happily but Sasuke looked away, staring off into space. Sakura saw this and hoped she hadn't brought unwanted memories back.

"Well, lets get to moving the rest of this furniture out of here!" Naruto turned and gave Sasuke a small peck on the cheek, bringing the Uchiha out of his thoughts abruptly. "Sakura, can you take the coffee table while Sasuke and I grab the couch?" Sakura nodded, demurely looking at Sasuke to see his reactions. The Uchiha kept a stony face and moved the far end of the couch. Using some of her chakra enhanced strength, Sakura picked up the coffee table and held it under her arm and moved out of the way of Sasuke and Naruto.

"On three," Naruto grinned and leaned down, Sasuke doing the same. "One, two, three!" Naruto called out. On three, both of them lifted the couch with ease. "Got it, Sasuke?" The blonde asked.

"Yeah," Sasuke responded with a light grunt. Working together, they followed Sakura outside of their apartment and started going down the steps. "Be careful, Dobe." Sasuke told the blonde as they started descending the stairs.

"I got it, I got it." Naruto called out. Sakura watched at the bottom of the staircase as they carefully came down. As soon as both of them were on the ground floor, the three started walking towards the Uchiha compound. "So Sakura," Naruto started, he looked over at the pink haired chuunin but Sasuke pushed the couch into the blondes' back. "Ow, Teme!"

"Huh?" Sakura asked.

"Nothing." Sasuke answered before Naruto could answer. Sakura rolled her eyes and gave Naruto an expectant look.

"We want you to move into the compound when we clean it out." Naruto burst out with excitement. Sasuke rolled his eyes as Sakura blinked, surprised.

"Seriously?" She looked over to Sasuke to see if Naruto was telling the truth.

"We talked about it, yeah!" Naruto went on, smiling. Sasuke looked up at Naruto and then nodded to Sakura.

"Nothing more than one conversation. The idiot is getting ahead of himself." Sasuke muttered. Sakura looked back to Naruto who shrugged and smiled sheepishly.

"If you guys do decide to open the compound up I'd be more than willing to pay rent. You'd guys get lonely in there all by yourselves right?" Sakura winked at Naruto before smiling at Sasuke.

"See Sasuke, she'd even pay rent." Naruto released a childish giggle only to be stopped by the armrest of the couch digging into his back. "Oh, come on Sasuke!" Naruto looked back still grinning.

"You'd have to do all the cleaning." Sasuke raised his eyebrow, challenging the blonde. Naruto looked up to the sky, thinking about it for a minute. Dozens of people were walking down the street, half of them moving out of the way to avoid the idiot who wasn't looking where he was going.

"You won't help?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shook his head and hefted the couch in his arms again. Not even a second went by before Naruto responded, still grinning. "Then I don't mind, I'd get to search for pictures of you when you were younger." The couches armrest rammed into Naruto's back for a third time.

"Geez, abusive much, Sasuke?" Sakura joked.

"He's a big boy, he can handle it." Sasuke smirked as they turned a corner, the Uchiha compound coming into view.

"I know exactly how to _handle_ it." Naruto winked at Sakura as they approached the compound's closed doors. As soon as they stood in front of the locked doors Sasuke dropped the couch on his side. This caught Naruto off guard and he jumped away from the couch, letting it collapse on the ground with a loud thud.

Sakura gently set the coffee table she was holding up right and leaned on it. "So how does this work?" She asked, looking at the blurry looking wall. Sasuke followed her gaze.

"Not yet, we still have to get the kitchen table and chairs. Can you stay here while Naruto and I get them?" Sasuke asked. Sakura stepped around the table and collapsed onto the old sagging couch.

"Fine, I'll just lay here and take a nap." Sakura waved at Naruto and Sasuke. "Go on, get back here quick so I can see where you guys are going to be living!" Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled the Uchiha back down the street.

"Bye Sakura! We'll be back in like ten minutes!" Naruto called out. Sasuke didn't bother looking back as he was pulled down a busy street.

"We have to leave the keys under the welcome mat for the landlord." Sasuke walked fast enough to catch up to the blonde, then walked side by side, with their hands intertwined.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto smiled and hummed some random tune off key. The walk back was quick; Naruto made several clones and picked up the chairs and table. Sasuke rolled his eyes and flicked the real Naruto's forehead.

"Usuratonkachi, what was the point of asking Sakura to help us if you just makes clones?" The Uchiha asked. All of the clones grinned, one of them holding chairs walked up to Sasuke and kissed him on the cheek.

"Because I like being able to spend time with you and my friends. Besides, I made a deal that I would do the moving if you did the unpacking." Naruto replied. Sasuke rolled his eyes and picked a key up from the table as it was being carried past him.

"Tch, Dobe." Sasuke followed the clones out, shutting the apartment door behind him and locking it. Slipping the key under the mat, Sasuke followed the clones down the stairs and back into the street. The Uchiha wasn't sending waves of moodiness or grouchiness but he was set in a funky silence that Naruto couldn't leave alone.

"I was being serious about letting Sakura move in." The real Naruto walked side by side with Sasuke, glancing over at him. "It's too quiet in there." Sasuke sighed.

"I want to clean the compound out first," Sasuke started. "If we undo the barrier the whole place would be open to anyone. Besides, we still haven't fixed that little problem I found."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What problem?" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"The problem I found out about during the chuunin exam, idiot." Punching the blonde gently in the shoulder. "The problem that needs you to keep your temper under control." Suddenly Naruto's expression brightened.

"Oh, that problem!" The blonde exclaimed. "Yeah, I felt her on my way to get Sakura." Sasuke gave him a quick, serious look. "Don't worry, as soon as I felt her she must have felt me. She bolted and before I could figure out why she was running, I couldn't feel her anymore."

"She moved out of range for you to sense her. Good, she knows how to stop from you two inadvertently letting all hell break loose." Sasuke muttered. "We can't take down the barrier until we've fixed that problem."

"Okay, but after that, we can let Sakura move into the compound?" Naruto asked. They were getting closer to the compound.

"Yes." Sasuke muttered.

"And can we tell her about the you-know-what?" Sasuke looked over to the clone that had proposed the question. Instead of saying what he was talking about, the clone pointedly looked down to Sasuke's stomach and then back up, down to Sasuke's stomach and back up again.

"Yes." The Uchiha grudgingly responded.

"Kakashi and Iruka can move in too, right?" A clone asked. Sasuke turned to look at the clone.

"Even Rock Lee can move in if it would make you happy." Sasuke nodded and turned back to the real Naruto. All of the clones wore the same, happy expression as they turned the corner. Even Sasuke's moodiness seemed to dissipate along with the goofy smiles he was getting. From where Sasuke and Naruto were, they could see someone with long, shaggy brown hair sitting next to Sakura on the couch. It took a few more steps before the clones all called out excitedly.

"Kiba!" Multiple Naruto voices called out. Kiba and Sakura both turned their heads at the sound of Naruto's collective voices. As they came closer, Kiba and Sakura stood up, both smiling.

"Naruto, Sasuke!" Kiba called out. "I haven't seen you guys in ages." As they got closer, the real Naruto set the chairs down and gave Kiba a hug.

"You know how it is, that old hag keeps everyone busy." Naruto chuckled. The rest of the clones set the chairs down and Sasuke went over to the doors of the compound, set on opening it. "And when I get a free day off, this Teme over here is going to have me me cleaning in there!" Naruto pointed to the door.

"Oi! Sasuke!" Kiba grinned devilishly. "You can't keep my buddy in there all the time, he's not your slave!" Sasuke looked back and smirked. He opened the door and walked back to the others.

"Dobe, you want to keep having sex?" Sasuke asked. All the clones looked up, eyes wide in shock.

"Yes!" All the clones exclaimed at once.

"Then stop complaining to others and get the furniture into the compound." Sasuke moved to pick up the couch only to have a clone set down the chairs and nudge the Uchiha away from the couch.

"Damn," Kiba muttered as the clones started moving the furniture into the compound. "You really do have him wrapped around your finger." Both Sakura and Sasuke grinned.

"Yeah, but Naruto can get his way if he really wanted to." Sakura picked up the table again and watched as Kiba and Naruto's clone picked up the couch while Sasuke picked up a stack of chairs.

They walked into the compound, the clones starting to run ahead. Not thinking about it, Sasuke walked close to Kiba, leading the group in the right direction. "So where's Akamaru? And Hinata and Shino?" One of Naruto's clones asked.

"Akamaru is with my older sister for a checkup, Shino and Hinata are on a mission together with Kurenai-sensei. They didn't need a tracker so I got the day off." Kiba answered, grinning. "I saw Sakura sitting out there on the couch so I decided to see what she was up to." The clones all nodded. Suddenly, Kiba frowned, wrinkling his nose before looking over to Sasuke. The Uchiha immediately felt nervous, shifting the chairs in his grip.

"Hey Sasuke," Kiba called out. Sasuke glanced over, glaring ever so slightly at the dog lover as he felt Naruto's eyes jerk over to the two. Sakura turned her head as well, curious as to what Kiba was going to say. "I know you've been cleaning up the compound, which is why you smell like dust but there's this other smell, it's going to sound weird but, you smell like, a little like a pregnant woman." Kiba sheepishly looked at Sasuke, watching the Uchiha's expressionless face.

"Uh," Naruto started softly. He looked at his lover with wide, worried eyes.

"Oh, that's probably my fault Kiba," Sakura spoke up. "I've been working in the maternity ward for a while. Tsunade wants me to learn about it, anyway, I sort of jumped Sasuke when I saw him. The smell must have worn off on him a little bit." Sakura smiled sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders.

Naruto watched with hesitancy as Kiba looked over to Sakura and then back at Sasuke. "Yeah, it's a weird kind of smell so I guess it did." Kiba relented. Naruto smiled in relief and hoisted the couch higher. "Hey! Be careful Naruto, you're going to make me drop this couch."

"Sorry, Kiba." Naruto called out and looked over to the Uchiha, winking at him when the Uchiha looked back. Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned down the street, the clones all outside his grandparents' house, his new home.

"You guys are going to live there?" Sakura asked in awe. "It's so big compared to your guys' apartment." As they got closer the clones ran up, took the table from Sakura, the chairs from Sasuke and the other half of the couch from Kiba.

"Yeah, this was Sasuke's grandparents house. I'm hoping he missed some pictures in there." Naruto jumped forward and wrapped his arm around the Uchiha's shoulder.

"That would be nice, to see Sasuke when he was younger." Sakura tapped her pointer finger to her cheek and looked over at her friends with a smile. "Let's search the house!"

Naruto lit up in excitement and Kiba let out a bark of laughter. Sasuke rolled his eyes and watched as the clones move the table and couch into the house. "Let's do it!" Naruto yelled.

"I don't think I'll be any help, this whole place smells like dust and I'll be sneezing all over the place." Kiba rubbed his nose and watched Sasuke and Naruto in curiosity.

Sasuke reached over to Naruto's side and pinched it harshly. Naruto immediately cried out and jumped away from the Uchiha, holding his side. "Teme!" Naruto whined. He gave Sasuke a scared, slightly freaked out look and rubbed his side.

"That's for if you find anything." Sasuke smirked and motioned towards the house. Naruto immediately brightened up again and looked over to Sakura and Kiba.

"Come on guys! Sasuke, my clones will help you unpack!" Naruto started running up to the front porch, Kiba and Sakura quickly following behind. Sasuke came pulling up the rear, hoping that he had been thorough enough in his lack of finding anything. Walking into the house, followed by several clones, Sasuke looked around and saw the trio was nowhere to be found. Moving into the living room, Sasuke found the couch and coffee table set in the middle of the room, a few boxes stacked in a far corner.

"What are you going to do if they find anything?" One of the clones asked. Sasuke glanced over at the clone, sitting down in front of the boxes and felt the clone's crowd around him.

"I'll take care of it." Sasuke ominously muttered. He took a kunai and slid it across the top of the box, tearing the tape in two. Opening the box and taking the items out, Sasuke waited for the clones to help out but they sat and kneeled beside him, watching. After half the box was empty, Sasuke looked over to the closest clone and handed him a bubble wrapped alarm clock. "Help out." The Uchiha commanded. He turned back to the box, expecting tan hands to reach in the box as well but none ever did. Instead of unwrapping the alarm clock, the clone set it down and leaned close to the Uchiha. Hot breath ghosted across pale skin and Sasuke stopped mid reach inside the box, mouth opening slightly.

"What if we kept you busy with, things?" Another clone came up behind the dark haired male and leaned over him, chest pressed up against Sasuke's back. Hands pressed against Sasuke's sides, the first clone leaning over to kiss Sasuke's neck softly.

"What kind of things?" Sasuke whispered. He took his hands out of the box, pushing it away slowly. The clones didn't answer; another clone's lips found their way to Sasuke's neck and started placing butterfly kisses wherever he could find skin.

Hands slipped up Sasuke's shirt and tickled his sensitive spots. Inhaling loud enough to be a gasp, Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned back into the touch. "Oh, you know," A clone whispered into Sasuke's ear. "Some fun, breaking in the rest of the rooms in the house."

A hand slipped out of Sasuke's shirt and traveled lower to Sasuke's crotch, gently massaging the clothed limb. "Mh, wouldn't that be fun." Sasuke sighed. The clones started to grow more certain, kisses traveling across Sasuke's neck faster and hands pinching his nipples. Releasing another quiet sigh, Sasuke arched his body backwards, allowing the clones to have the full expanse of his upper body. Suddenly, Sasuke opened his eyes wide and pushed the clones away, standing up quickly. Before the clones could say or do anything, Kiba casually walked into the room, looking around. Once he saw the Uchiha, he grinned and motioned behind him.

"They found some things in the attic, Naruto is ecstatic." Kiba rolled his eyes as Sasuke tensed and rushed past the dog boy. Said dog boy looked over to the clones and raised an eyebrow.

"You really can't keep your hands to yourselves can you?" Kiba asked. The clones all grinned, a few even had the gall to raise their hands and scratch the back of their heads. Sasuke, on the other hand, was rushing down the hallway. Seeing the stairs pulled out of the ceiling, he climbed up them and immediately spotted Naruto and Sakura sitting on a dusty bench at the far end of the attic. The two were pouring their attention over an old album sitting in the blonde's lap.

"Aw, look at him, so cute!" Sakura was practically squealing over the photo album and Naruto was grinning like a madman. Quickly making his way towards them, Sasuke took note of the pictures they were looking at and immediately tried to pull the album out of the blonde's grasp. Naruto tightened his grip and leaned backwards, lifting his feet to push Sasuke away.

"No, Sasuke! Go away! We found it fair and square so let us look at it!" Naruto grinned and made Sasuke lean forward, bending at the waist as he tried to snatch the album away.

"Give me that, Dobe!" Sasuke tried to step around the blonde's legs and get closer but Naruto was too quick, he moved his legs accordingly and leaned so far back he was nearly parallel to the ground.

"Look, look!" Naruto cried out excitedly as he turned a page in the album. "He's naked in this one!" Sakura leaned back to look at the picture, smiling at it before looking up at Sasuke.

"Don't be embarrassed Sasuke, you were adorable when you were younger." Sakura smiled brightly as Sasuke's expression grew more agitated. The Uchiha's attempts to retrieve the album grew more intense, causing Naruto to lose his balance and fall backwards onto the floor. Sasuke followed closely behind.

"Whoa!" Naruto yelled in surprise as he fell, watching Sasuke topple onto him as they both reached their hands over their heads. The blonde landed on his back with a loud sound but Sasuke was much more graceful in his fall, catching himself with one hand and his knees as he reached for the album.

"Dobe!" Sasuke yelled. They scuffled on the floor, Naruto trying to keep the album out of reach and Sasuke attempting to grab it. Naruto was careful to avoid Sasuke's stomach and made sure he was still. Suddenly, the book was pulled out of Naruto's grip and lifted into the air.

Both men stopped fighting to look up, staring at their pink haired friend and teammate. Sakura opened the book and started to walk away, grinning happily. "You know," the pink haired ninja started. "I think I should show this to Ino, she would get a big kick out of it."

"You won't be able to get out of the compound with it!" Naruto yelled. He immediately wrapped his arms around the man on top of him and held him down, their foreheads touching. Sasuke let Naruto hold him close, he couldn't see Sakura but he heard her walk down the ladder. "I'm going to show Kiba this, there was too much dust for him to come up here." She called out.

"Fine!" Naruto called out. The blonde was grinning from ear to ear as he leaned upwards and gave Sasuke a quick peck on the lips. "Forgive me?" He asked. Sasuke blinked and set his head down on Naruto's shoulder.

"Yeah, just don't go putting them up around the house. I'll kill you then." Sasuke threatened lightly. Naruto kissed Sasuke on the top of his head and lowered his arms, comfortingly holding the Uchiha.

"There were pictures of you and Itachi, I didn't want you to get sad." Naruto told his lover softly. Sasuke's reaction was predictable, tensing up followed by silence.

"I'll look at them later." Sasuke finally muttered. Before silence could fall upon them for an indefinite period of time, Naruto jerked underneath Sasuke. His bright blue eyes widened and he looked down at Sasuke surprised.

"Why did Kiba have to ruin my moment?" The blonde cried out. Rolling the two over, Naruto leaned over the Uchiha and ground his hips into Sasuke's. "We were getting to the good part." Sasuke watched the devilish grin spread over Naruto's features.

"What are you talking about Dobe?" Sasuke asked too innocently. He could feel a growing erection rubbing against his crotch and a smirk found a way to the Uchiha's face. He knew exactly what Naruto was talking about.

"Downstairs, Sakura just dispelled my clones for making a mess of things. I sort of started unpacking everything." Naruto leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Sasuke's lips. When Naruto pulled away, Sasuke followed. Catching the blonde into another soft kiss, moving his lips to suck on the other's lower lip.

"You? Unpacking? That certainly wasn't happening when I was down there." Sasuke full out grinned when Naruto chuckled as he rolled off the Uchiha.

"Which is why it started happening once you left," Naruto stood up and leaned over, holding out a hand for Sasuke to take. He took it gratefully, hoisting himself up. "Now let's go get that album back before Sakura has a chance to get away with it." The two stepped out of attic, Naruto folding the ladder up so the entrance to the attic was hidden in the ceiling. Sasuke was already walking down the hallway, looking for Sakura and Kiba.

"Hey guys!" Naruto called out as he ran down the hallway to catch up with Sasuke, then slid past him as he looked for their friends. "I know my clones made a mess but you don't have to clean it up, Sasuke and I have all day-" Naruto stopped short as he went into the living room, mouth gaping at something Sasuke couldn't see. "Wait, wait! Don't open that!"

Naruto ran into the room and Sasuke picked up his pace to see what they were getting into that Naruto didn't want them to see. "What's inside of it Naruto?" Sasuke could hear Sakura ask. Before Sasuke could get to the living room, Naruto was running back down the hallway with a large cardboard box in his arms.

The lid of the box was flapping in the air as Naruto ran, winking at Sasuke as he passed him. Getting into the living room, Sasuke saw Sakura looking at Kiba with wide eyes and starting to blush. When Sakura looked up to see Sasuke watching her, her blush deepened and she looked away as Kiba turned to see the Uchiha walk into the room. Instead of being embarrassed the dog lover waggled his eyebrows and kept grinning.

It wasn't hard to see the connection between the cardboard box and their expressions. Kiba could smell it and Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes in exasperation but inwardly he was sweating in relief. Maybe it was a good thing Naruto had wanted to put all the prenatal pills and books about pregnancy in with the condoms and lube they had. "Well this has been fun but I have to go," Kiba scratched his nose and stood up, stretching. "My sis' and Akamaru are probably wondering where I am."

"Yeah I have to go to, house chores aren't going to do themselves." Sakura stood up to just as Naruto came bounding back into the room.

"What? You guys are leaving already?" The blonde whined. Sasuke gave him a light punch on the shoulder, lips twitching upwards in a smirk.

"You can't expect them to spend a whole day with you Dobe, you aren't genin anymore." Sasuke motioned for Sakura and Kiba to follow him out, Naruto naturally following the Uchiha out of the house.

"Yeah, yeah, Teme, whatever you say." Naruto said once they were out of the house, Sakura came out last and Naruto crowded around her, towering over her shorter frame with his hands on his hips. "Gimme the album, Sakura." Sasuke and Kiba turned around to watch the interaction.

Sakura smiled sweetly and tilted her head in mock confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about." Naruto moved his hands and reached behind Sakura's back. Immediately Sakura shifted and Naruto was practically trying to get around the pink haired woman to grab what she was holding behind her back.

"Come on Sakura! Give it to me!" Naruto called out. Sakura turned around moved off the porch with Naruto following her, the door to the house still open. As soon as Sakura was close enough, Sasuke reached out and plucked the album from the pinkette's hands, holding it up for the blonde to see.

"Hey! That isn't fair!" Sakura yelled. She turned around and gave Sasuke a pout. Naruto, on the other hand, gave an exclamation of victory. Holding the album over Sakura's head, Sasuke passed it off to Naruto who returned the porch and set it down inside the house before shutting the door.

"Life isn't fair Sakura, especially when you have these two working against you." Kiba grinned and Sakura just crossed her arms over her chest, pouting.

"Yep, me and Sasuke are unstoppable!" Naruto called out happily. Jumping back down from the porch, the blonde wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulder and the four headed back to the entrance to the compound.

"Against a girl." Kiba snickered as they walked down the street. Naruto gave the dog lover a pointed look and didn't respond to the comment.

"Sakura isn't an ordinary girl." Sasuke was the first to reply to Kiba. This earned a sideway glance from the pink haired ninja. Knowing that Sasuke was teetering on the edge of Sakura's good side, Naruto intervened.

"Right, Sakura is an amazing girl." Naruto looked over at Sakura with a bright smile. Sakura rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. They turned the corner, the gate coming into view.

"Thanks guys, I feel _so_ special." Sakura sarcastically responded. When they got to the gate, Sasuke unlocked it and opened it as Kiba and Sakura said goodbye.

"On our next day off, we should do a little training with Kakashi or something. But tonight we should go to Ichiraku's. You shouldn't spend all your free time unpacking, it can't be healthy for you." Sakura smiled and Kiba gave Naruto a high five.

"For sure!" Naruto smiled. Sasuke nodded his head in approval.

"Yeah man, you two totally need to get out and see the world every once in a while." Kiba nodded to Sasuke and walked away, waving at Naruto and Sasuke.

"I'll try to convince the bastard but you know how stubborn he can be." Naruto winked at Sakura and waved goodbye, Sasuke nodded to the pink haired ninja who was walking backwards, smiling at them.

When Sakura turned around, Sasuke resealed the gate and Naruto closed it. "We going back to unpack or are we gonna…?" The blonde trailed off. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively only to have Sasuke roll his eyes and turn away from him.

"Hey, Sasuke! Wait up!" Naruto called out. He jogged a little until he was right next to the Uchiha and slipped his hand into Sasuke's, "So what are we going to do?" The blonde asked.

"We're going to introduce you to the Uchiha bloodline." Sasuke answered.

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked. Sasuke looked over with a smirk.

"You'll see." Sasuke ominously replied. He turned around and grabbed Naruto's hand, walking towards the door. Sasuke in led the blonde deeper into the Uchiha compound.

"I don't think I like the sound of that Sasuke, what are you going to do to me?" Naruto asked. Gently squeezing Sasuke's hand, Naruto looked over for any kind of information Sasuke would give.

"You obviously have seen the barrier right?" Sasuke asked. "It can only be opened by someone from the Uchiha clan."

"Yeah, I remember." Naruto nodded and swung their connected hands up in the air. "So what does that have to do with where you're taking me?" The blonde asked.

"I'm taking you to the place where the seal of the barrier is located, we're going to add your blood to it so you can open and seal the compound just like I can." Sasuke glanced over at Naruto.

Said blonde was looking into the distance, staring at nothing with his mouth open as he tried to understand what Sasuke had just said. "Okay." Naruto slowly replied. He swung his hand high and held it to his lips, kissing the back of Sasuke's hand gently. "Whatever you want, Teme."

"Mhm," Sasuke sighed and pulled Naruto around another corner. "When we're done we can do what you wanted to do." Naruto lit up immediately at this and grinned.

"Then let's get this show on the road!" Naruto grinned and let Sasuke pull him into a courtyard that was connected to a house. Sasuke led Naruto to the middle of the courtyard and stopped where the free space opened into a circle of evenly spaced benches.

Stepping into the circle, Sasuke pulled Naruto into the middle of it and held out the blonde's hand as he pulled a kunai out and handed it to the blonde. "We only need a drop or two, just give me a minute." Sasuke stooped down, scraped away gravel and pebbles, revealing a glass circle. Below the glass circle was the earth, a seal underneath it. The glass circle fit perfectly into the ground and without the gravel Naruto would never have noticed it. Sasuke carefully picked up the glass and set it aside before standing back up.

"There, just let a drop of it fall on top of the seal." Sasuke stepped back and sighed. Naruto was looking at the kunai, the seal and then finally at Sasuke. Something seemed off to the blonde but it wasn't just the seal.

"It's so small, how does it do so much?" The blonde asked. Sasuke gave a lopsided grin and stepped closer to Naruto again.

"This is just the part of the seal where the changes dictate what the shield does. The rest of the seal covers every inch of the compound, underneath the ground." Sasuke gently took one of Naruto's hands by the wrist and slipped his fingers into the blonde's free hand.

"No kidding? Your family went a long way to protect this place." Naruto murmured. Swinging their free hands a little, Naruto smiled and brought their hands closer to the kunai, the tan skin coming to rest against it gently.

"They wanted to be sure that," Sasuke hesitated. "Their future, their children were safe." Naruto nodded, finally feeling the situation's intensity.

"I see." Naruto leaned forward and kissed Sasuke on the lips. Pressing the kunai against his skin, breaking it. Naruto could feel the blood slide down his skin, dripping to the ground as the wound resealed with a tingling sensation. Sasuke broke away from the kiss and looked down, he could see the drop of blood that had fallen onto the seal. He kneeled down and replaced the glass case, pushing gravel back over it.

"So what does that do?" Naruto asked curiously. Sasuke stood up again and grabbed the blonde's hand, checking the already healed wound.

"This barrier reacts to anyone whose blood it has, now that it has yours, you'll be able to open and close the seal like me. You won't need me to do it anymore." Sasuke gave a small smile and sighed in relief. Naruto chuckled and wrapped his arms around the Uchiha's waist, pulling him close. Slipping the kunai into Sasuke's pouch simultaneously.

"It's like getting keys to your house," Naruto grinned and felt the mood lighten up considerably. "You think I can bring my toothbrush and a change of clothes with me?" This made Sasuke roll his eyes and chuckle as the blonde pulled him into another kiss. Letting Naruto sweep him off his feet, Sasuke was tilted backwards, the blonde's arms holding him up as he was given a sweet kiss. Naruto's lips were quirked in a grin.

"If you didn't then I'd guess you'd have to borrow some of mine." Sasuke was trying to keep a grin off his face as Naruto leaned down for another, deeper kiss. When Naruto pulled Sasuke up and broke the kiss, he took hold of Sasuke's hand and gently pressed his hand against Sasuke's abdomen.

"Your clothes will be a little to big for me don't you think?" Naruto asked.

"Are you calling me fat?" Sasuke asked. He pulled away from the blonde, frowning up at him as his mood did a complete 180. Immediately, Naruto went into recovery mode, attempting to save the quickly dying atmosphere.

"N-no!" Naruto raised his eyebrows and contorted his face into an apologetic expression. "I'm just saying that you're going to need looser clothes cause the baby is getting bigger!" Sasuke had continued to frown at the blonde, making Naruto drop his hand as Sasuke narrowed his eyes angrily.

"Dobe, you just called me fat." Sasuke angrily bit out. Turning around, Sasuke stormed out of the courtyard, leaving Naruto to follow behind him.

"Teme, come back! You aren't fat!" Naruto called out. Sasuke didn't stop, didn't even turn around to look at Naruto. Put out, the blonde slowed down and huffed angrily. "Damn bastard and stupid pregnancy hormones."

"I heard that, Usuratonkachi!" Sasuke called out. He didn't bother looking back. "You can forget about having sex." The Uchiha turned around this time, watching Naruto's expression go from sour to downright horror.

"No! Anything but that!" Naruto cried out. He started running to catch up to the Uchiha.


	10. A Fight

**July 16th, the tenth week**

"Try it." Sasuke stood in front of the open gate with his arms crossed, face stony. He had been ignoring Naruto for a few days after what he thought was a fat joke. Naruto had at first tried to appease the Uchiha in any way possible, used clones to unpack, attempted to seduce him. Nothing worked. Sasuke continued to ignore him, giving him single worded answers and shrugging the blonde off. Sighing, Naruto dejectedly went up to the seal on the gate and placed his hand on it. The seal was warm and it felt like it fluttered under his touch. Sasuke watched as the barrier fell and walked through the gate.

Naruto watched Sasuke walk out and followed him, closing gates and resealing the compound, feeling Sasuke's bad mood starting to affect him. Jogging to catch up with the dark haired male, Naruto stopped and quickly got in step with Sasuke's pace. Slipping his hands in his pockets, Naruto watched the world as they walked past it. The streets were fairly empty, most of the villagers eating dinner and no one gave Sasuke and Naruto a second glance.

They walked in silence; Sasuke pointedly ignoring the blonde and Naruto trying to ignore the fact Sasuke was ignoring him. It took a few minutes but they finally reached Ichiraku's and stepped inside. Sakura was there along with Yamato, Iruka and Kakashi, much to Naruto and Sasuke's surprise. The blonde lit up like a firecracker and ran over to the old teacher.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto hugged said male and laughed as Iruka hugged the blonde back.

"Naruto, Sasuke, it's good to see you." Iruka laughed as Naruto pulled away and moved to sit back down. Sasuke had taken a seat with one in between him and Sakura, forcing Naruto to sit between Sasuke and the rest of their friends.

Sakura seemed to sense his foul mood and looked over curiously. "You okay, Sasuke?" She asked. Sasuke didn't even glance at her, just set his elbows down on the counter.

"Fine." Sasuke muttered quietly. Naruto's smile dampened and he looked down at the counter. Everyone noticed this and quieted.

"You two get into a fight?" Yamato asked. He leaned over the counter to look at the two. Yamato hadn't really spent much time with Sasuke since he came back but he knew enough to tell when Sasuke was just being himself and when the Uchiha was pissed. He wouldn't be Anbu if he couldn't figure that much out after the few times he'd seen Sasuke interact with people.

"I'm sure it's nothing that can't be fixed with some makeup sex." Kakashi shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. Iruka hit him on the shoulder with a whisper of his name. Naruto grinned squeamishly and glanced over at the white haired male. His expression said it that this was something that could not be settled with sex and silence settled into the group once more. Teuchi came over and took their orders, leaving them quickly to cook the ramen. Finally, Iruka grew tired of the silence and leaned over the counter to look at Naruto as he asked his question.

"So how do you two like the house, compared to the apartment?" Iruka smiled gently. Enjoying the start of the new conversation, Naruto grinned happily.

"It's great, we've got a ton of space and a really big bed, no neighbors to call a landlord on us for being too noisy." Naruto started to ramble, he would have continued if he hadn't seen Sasuke shift from the corner of his eye. "But we don't have a lot of stuff so the place feels kind of empty."

"Well I'm sure you'll figure out a way to make it feel more like home." Iruka smiled gently. Sasuke shifted again, readjusting his arms and Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I don't think it'll be too hard, Iruka-sensei." Naruto smiled back. Before more conversation could be started, Teuchi came over with several bowls of steaming ramen. Everyone but Sasuke lit up in delight. Sasuke on the other hand stiffened when the ramen cook placed a bowl of steaming ramen in front of him. Naruto noticed this but before he could say anything the Uchiha was bolting out of the restaurant.

"Sasuke? Where are you going?" Sakura asked. She had seen the Uchiha leave in a rush. Standing up, Naruto turned to his friends.

"I'm going to go see what's wrong, see if I can get him to talk to me." Naruto pulled out money and set it on the counter. "We'll see you guys later." Sakura looked like she wanted to come with him but Kakashi grabbed her elbow as the blonde turned and chased after the Uchiha.

"It probably has something to do with their fight earlier, let them handle it." Kakashi soothed the pink haired ninja. Iruka sadly looked down at his bowl of ramen as Kakashi's other hand found Iruka's and grasped it tightly. "They'll be fine." Sakura dejectedly turned around in her seat and picked up her chopsticks, hoping that her friends were okay. Yamato stayed silent, he trusted Kakashi's senses and didn't even know everyone else well enough to know how to handle the situation. He had only gotten to know most of them, save Kakashi and Sasuke, when Tsunade asked him to help train Naruto. Kakashi he had known for years when said white haired male trained him and Sasuke when he was brought back to Konoha.

Naruto followed Sasuke down the street and into an alleyway. Once Sasuke reached a trashcan, he gripped the edges of it and stuck his head over it. At first the blonde didn't know what the Uchiha was doing but once he heard the retching sound, he realized what had happened. Slowly coming up behind the Uchiha, Naruto patted Sasuke's back and tucked strands of hair behind his ears. Sasuke continued to puke with no acknowledgment of the blonde's presence.

"I'm sorry Sasuke," Naruto whispered. "If I had known the smell of ramen would make you sick I wouldn't have asked you to go." Naruto sighed and watched Sasuke continue to empty his stomach contents into the trashcan.

"Shut up, Dobe." Sasuke croaked. He stood up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glared at the blonde. Brushing past the blonde, Sasuke walked back into the street with Naruto trailing after him. They had just been playing around and suddenly Sasuke had backed off, gotten mad and it couldn't just be because he was going to gain weight and Naruto had made a fat joke. How could Sasuke stay this mad for so long? It'd been a week!

"Sasuke," Naruto called out softly. He reached out to slip his hand into Sasuke's but Sasuke shook his hand and picked up his pace. Ignoring the blonde all over again. "Sasuke." The blonde tried again, he stressed his boyfriends name with a hushed seriousness.

Again, Sasuke ignored the blonde, heading straight for the Uchiha compound. People watched as they passed by, some chuckling at the scene others watching in fascination. Those that knew the relationship between the two could only imagine what Naruto had done to make the Uchiha mad. Growing annoyed, Naruto followed Sasuke back to the compound, watched the Uchiha unseal the compound, open the gate and walk through it. He didn't attempt to reseal the compound, just left it open for Naruto to close it.

Anger rose up in Naruto's stomach and he stomped his way inside the compound, resealed it and stood in front of the gate. Clenching his fists tightly, Naruto inhaled deeply and tried to calm himself down. Naruto didn't want to get angry; the other male was pregnant and going through a lot of hormonal changes. It wasn't the Uchiha's fault. He knew that if he let himself continue to be angry Kyuubi's chakra would leak and he'd get violent. That was something he didn't want to happen. Taking a deep breath, he set his head against the gate door and closed his eyes. Sasuke was still walking away and Naruto tried to calm down.

"It's the hormones, he's mad because of the hormones." Naruto whispered to himself. "He'll feel better in a while and he won't be mad at me anymore. The mood swing will pass and we can talk it out just like the books say." Naruto took another deep breath and opened his eyes. He turned around, slipped his hands into his pockets and started walking towards the house he and Sasuke had taken residence in. The anger was still there but it was dulled, stifled down by reason. As soon as he got to the house he could see Sasuke pulling out a tarp, a few bottles of ink and a brush from the entranceway.

"You doing okay?" Naruto asked. Again Sasuke ignored the blonde; he grabbed the ink and brush along with the tarp. With his hands full, he attempted to scoop up some scrolls but nearly dropped everything in his arms. "Here, let me get that." Naruto went over to the Uchiha and picked the scrolls, straightening up alongside his lover. Sasuke's expression was stony, unhappy. Naruto gave a soft smile and held them up. "Where do you want these?" He asked. Sasuke motioned to his hands.

"Give them to me." Sasuke muttered. He didn't say anything else so Naruto carefully set them down on top of the pile in the Uchiha's arm. Once the scrolls were securely in his arms, Sasuke turned away and stalked towards the living room.

"Your welcome!" Naruto called out after him. Sighing, he looked around the entrance way and bent down, picking up the opened boxes and moved them to a space where he could sort through it and dispense it's contents to their places in the house.

All the while, Sasuke unfolded the tarp out in the living room. He had pushed all the furniture and leftover boxes into the far corners of the room, all pushed against the walls. Naruto watched as he moved around the house, the items in the entry hallway slowly disappearing. Sasuke straightened the tarp out and picked up the scrolls, laying them out in front of the tarp. The tarp was already half covered in two half circles drawn in black ink. Naruto watched as Sasuke placed the ink next to the scrolls in an orderly fashion and opened one up. He dipped the brush in the ink and started to carefully paint on the tarp from where he had left off. Naruto finished what he was doing and quietly stepped behind Sasuke, watching him work from above. Sasuke kept working for about a minute before he dipped the brush back in the ink and left it there. He sat up and turned to Naruto, finally acknowledging him.

"Go away, I can't concentrate with you looking over my shoulder." Sasuke snapped. Naruto's interested expression turned sour very quickly. The blonde sadly looked away and sighed.

"Sorry, Sasuke, I was just curious." Naruto sadly muttered. He turned away and stepped off the tarp. "I'll leave you alone for a while." Sasuke didn't say anything, just continued to glare at the blonde as he walked away. When Naruto was out of sight, Sasuke turned back to the tarp and pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it into the entranceway. A grim frown settled on his facial features and he picked back up the brush, continuing on perfecting the half painted circles.

* * *

Naruto tried to stay out of the living room for the rest of the night. He paced around the bedroom, tried to get a nap but was too fidgety, too agitated. By the time Naruto's stomach was rumbling, in need of food, it was almost ten at night. Not being able to handle the constant grumbling of his empty stomach anymore, Naruto ventured out of the bedroom, cautiously walking down the hall and peeking into the living room. Sasuke was working away, his shirt gone and the black seal prominent on the skin of his collarbone. He didn't look up from his work, just continued to paint squiggly lines with black ink on the tarp. Carefully, Naruto walked around the Uchiha and into the kitchen, Sasuke didn't even bother looking up.

As soon as the blonde was in the kitchen he looked for something to eat. Ramen was out of the question, the smell would probably make Sasuke sick again and he didn't want an even more pissed off Uchiha to deal with. Opening the refrigerator door, Naruto peered inside and spotted a loaf of bread, cheese and three ripe tomatoes. Immediately an idea popped into the blondes' head and he pulled all three ingredients out of the fridge. After retrieving a knife and two plates, Naruto started to make two tomato and cheese sandwiches.

The silence was unnerving, there was no comfort in it. Once he finished, he turned on the faucet and cleaned the knife. He dried it and set it back in its wooden block, replaced what tomato and cheese was left in the fridge. Picking up the plates with sandwiches on them, Naruto carried them into the living room. Sasuke was still working away at the seals, a grim look set on his face. Naruto sat down on the couch and set one of the plates down on the other side of the couch, the other in his lap.

"I made a sandwich for you Sasuke, tomato and cheese." Naruto called off softly. Sasuke didn't look up, didn't even react to what the blonde had said. Picking up his own sandwich, Naruto took a bite and leaned forward, resting his elbow on his leg as he rested his head in his hand. He watched Sasuke work, muscles in his back moving with every brushstroke, hand smoothly painting symbols onto the tarp in black ink. Sasuke was on his hands and knees, no shirt and Naruto watched the Uchiha's stomach, looking for any hint of a bulge under taught, pale skin.

"I'll get it later." Sasuke muttered. He leaned forward and dipped his pen into a container of ink before carefully returning to painting on the seal. Naruto's expression went from hopeful to a dejected look quickly, not that Sasuke saw.

"Okay." Naruto continued to eat his sandwich at a slow pace, hoping Sasuke would take a break before he finished his food but no such luck. The Uchiha was still working when Naruto had finished and just sat there for a few minutes. With his shoulders sagging, Naruto stood up and picked up both plates. "I'm going to leave your sandwich in the fridge for when you're finished." Naruto called softly. Sasuke continued to ignore him and so the blonde went into the kitchen, placed the sandwich in the fridge as he said he would and cleaned his plate in the sink before leaving it in there, not wanting to create any more noise that would further annoy his hormonal lover.

Once he finished, he walked back into the living room, giving Sasuke one last look and sighed softly. "I'm gonna get ready for bed, should I wait up for you?" He asked. Naruto knew what Sasuke was going to say but couldn't help but hope he was wrong.

"No, I'll come in a while." Sasuke muttered. Naruto looked down sadly and turned away. To busy wallowing in his own pity, Naruto didn't hear Sasuke set the brush in the ink and looked up. Instead of an angry or focused look, Sasuke watched the blonde disappear with a sad expression. With a deep sigh, Sasuke returned to his work, the blonde already in the bedroom and too far away to hear the sigh. Naruto changed into boxers and didn't bother wearing a shirt. He slipped under the covers, got comfortable and then waited for Sasuke to come in. Minutes passed, then an hour. The blonde was starting to grow tired, his eyes drooping and body becoming extremely relaxed.

Suddenly, the sound of someone walking into the bedroom stirred the blonde from his doze. Blinking away the sleep, Naruto watched as Sasuke pulled out a pair of boxers and quickly changed into them. Naruto watched tiredly and pulled down the cover for Sasuke to get in but instead Sasuke grabbed a pillow and turned to walk out of the room. The blonde watched for about half a second, figuring out what Sasuke was doing. Before Sasuke could reach the door Naruto was up and out of the bed, wrapping his arms around his lover, resting his forehead against the back of Sasuke's head.

"Whatever I did to make you this mad, I'm sorry." Naruto whispered. Sasuke didn't pull away from him and Naruto took this as a good sign. "Please don't be angry at me anymore." Sasuke didn't say anything for a moment and Naruto could feel the warmth emanating from Sasuke's back, the pulse of his heart under his hands.

"I'm not angry at you." The Uchiha finally replied cautiously.

"But why won't you talk to me or look at me? Why don't you want to sleep in the same bed as me?" Naruto asked. A small, sad smile made its way to the blonde's expression. He was finally getting Sasuke to talk to him.

"Because," Sasuke answered as he pulled Naruto off of him and turned around, throwing his pillow at Naruto's chest. "I don't feel like having sex! That's why!" Sasuke angrily cried out. The blonde watched in surprise as the Uchiha yelled at him, his smile fading quickly.

"I don't want you to jump me and coerce me into doing it. I've thrown up twice today, I have a headache and my back is sore from leaning over and painting that fucking seal." Sasuke looked away from the blonde, glaring at the floor as he continued.

"A lot of what we do leads to sex, Dobe and I didn't want to let you tease me and then not want to go all the way. You would get mad and then we'd both be frustrated." Sasuke trailed off from his suddenly rambling explanation. Shaking his head in irritation, the Uchiha turned away and started to walk out of the room. "I don't want to talk about this, I'm going to go sleep on the couch." Sasuke lamely finished. Naruto smiled softly and pulled Sasuke by the hand back into the bedroom.

"Dobe, stop. Let me go!" Sasuke growled. Naruto didn't listen and pulled the Uchiha over to the bed, turned around and took the Uchiha's hips before carefully pushing him down onto the bed. Sasuke attempted halfheartedly to get up but Naruto kneeled over him, gently smiling at his pregnant lover.

"We don't have to have sex." Naruto leaned down and planted a kiss on the Uchiha's forehead. He felt Sasuke flinch but he didn't have any resentment for Sasuke doing it. "If you didn't want to have sex all you had to do was tell me." Sasuke turned his head when Naruto pulled away from kissing his forehead, not wanting to look at the blonde. "If you ever feel like not having sex, no matter what the problem is, when it is, just tell me and I'll back off. I know you've been feeling terrible the past few weeks and I know I can come on a little strong." Sasuke snorted.

"A little?" The Uchiha asked with raised eyebrows. Naruto smiled and gently rubbed Sasuke's shoulders comfortingly.

"Yeah, a little." Naruto iterated with a chuckle. He was grinning at Sasuke's comment. "But seriously, if you say stop, I'll stop and it's not like you couldn't kick my ass if I even dared try to force you." Naruto watched as Sasuke looked back up at him, eyes staring intently.

"And I won't be mad when you say no, Teme. I get it and it's okay," Naruto paused and sat up on his knees. He curled his fingers into a 'C' and jerked it in front of his crotch. "My hand could use a little practice anyway." Naruto chuckled and looked for anything in Sasuke's expression that would tell him what the Uchiha was thinking. Sasuke's expression was seemingly blank but the tiniest downward slope of his eyebrows and the lightning fast quirk in Sasuke's lips gave away his brightening mood.

"You done?" Sasuke asked. Naruto grinned wider and leaned down, kissing Sasuke on the cheek.

"You going to sleep in bed with me instead of on the couch?" Naruto asked. Sasuke continued to look up at the blonde with a blank expression and Naruto grew worried that for a moment the Uchiha was still going to be mad at him.

"If that keeps me from having to kicking your ass, I guess I'll have too." Sasuke said with a fake, bored look. Naruto, on the other hand, full out smiled and kissed the Uchiha on the lips softly. He rolled off the male below him and got back under the covers, watching as the Uchiha got up and picked up his pillow before getting back on the bed. Sasuke turned his back to the blonde and adjusted until he was comfortable. Naruto saw this and scooted closer, wrapping his arm around the Uchiha's waist. The Uchiha turned his head around and placed his hand on Naruto's, giving him a questioning look.

"You've been ignoring me almost a whole week, Sasuke, I just want to hold you because I missed you." Naruto muttered with a smile. "I don't like fighting with you." Sasuke turned around and shifted again, letting Naruto hold him.

"I ignored you for a few days, Usuratonkachi, it's not like I was leaving you." Sasuke closed his eyes and let Naruto's warmth woo him into sleep.

"Yeah well, it felt like you were." Naruto mumbled into Sasuke's hair.

"Drama queen." Sasuke responded slowly.

"Asshole." Naruto replied quietly. Sasuke didn't respond, already halfway to dreamland.

* * *

**July 18th, still the tenth week**

"Naruto, where are my pants?" Sasuke called out. Naruto, who was in the bathroom, poked his head out and blinked owlishly.

"There's a whole drawer full of them open, right in front of you." Naruto looked down at the drawer and then back at Sasuke who was holding a pair of pants in his hands. Both Naruto and Sasuke had slept in the guest bedroom for all of two days before finally deciding that it was just too annoying to walk down the hallway to go to the bathroom. Instead, they had moved all of their things, reluctantly on Sasuke's part, into the master bedroom of the house where a bathroom was connected to it.

"All these are starting to feel constricting, Dobe, where are the ones with the elastic bands?" Sasuke tossed the pants back into the drawer with an angry sigh.

"I think those are in the bottom drawer, I put those there 'cause you didn't need 'em when I unpacked them." Naruto watched Sasuke shut the drawer and move to a lower one. Disappearing back into the bathroom, Naruto listened to the Uchiha rummage through the bottom drawer. When the blonde heard the drawer close, he peered back into the bedroom with his toothbrush in his mouth. Naruto saw Sasuke start to pull on the pants and grinned. He could see the slight, almost unnoticeable bulge in Sasuke's stomach that made him uncomfortable in tighter pants.

"What?" Sasuke asked. He looked up and saw Naruto staring. Naruto smiled and shook his head, disappearing into the bathroom again. Sasuke rolled his eyes, knowing that Naruto was excited to finally see the baby bump.

"Nuffin." Naruto mumbled as he continued to brush his teeth. He tired to hide his smile but when Sasuke leaned against the doorway of the bathroom, Naruto looked over and grinned.

"Do you want to feel it again?" The Uchiha asked. Naruto shook his head and spit out the foam from the toothpaste. "Then stop looking at it." Sasuke walked out the bathroom and went to find a shirt.

"I wasn't!" The blonde denied. He cleaned his toothbrush under the stream of water and replaced it, turning off the faucet. "I'm just making sure you'll come back in one piece. You won't let me go see you in the third part of the exam."

Sasuke picked out a short-sleeved shirt and pulled it on. "Kyoko will be there and won't be able to leave. Her seal will break and all hell will break loose, you can't go." The Uchiha scratched the back of his head and walked out of the bedroom. Naruto heard him leave and quickly finished up, following his lover with only his boxers on. He found Sasuke folding up the tarp with the seals on it and grabbed the closest side of it, helping the Uchiha out.

"Yeah I know, but if someone hurts you I won't be able to kick their ass." Naruto grinned when Sasuke rolled his eyes. "So are you going to bring her here after the exam?" Naruto asked. Sasuke handed the tarp to Naruto and leaned down to pick up the bottom to fold it again.

"Mhm, it's not something we can put off any longer than we already have." Sasuke took the folded tarp from Naruto and walked over to the entranceway. "If anything goes wrong, I'm going to put you and her to sleep. We can't risk anything happening."

"Got it." When Sasuke returned to the living room, Naruto held his arms open, a grin on his face. The Uchiha walked right into the blonde's arms and slipped his own hands around the other's hips. He turned his head to the bed and stared at the picture frame on the dresser, Naruto rubbed his back soothingly and glanced over to the photo. It had been in the photo album Naruto and Sakura had found, after gathering his courage, Sasuke dared to flip through it and had nearly burst into tears when he had seen that photo.

"He'd be proud of you," Naruto whispered soothingly. The picture was of Sasuke and Itachi when they were younger, sitting in their garden, Sasuke sitting in Itachi's lap as his older brother held his hands. Both of them were smiling without a care in the world, it was the only picture where Itachi looked completely happy. "He loved you." Sasuke was silent for a few moments, just staring at that photo, wondering what his brother would think if he knew that Sasuke was carrying Naruto's child.

"I wish you could come." Sasuke muttered as he pushed the thoughts of his brother away. Naruto pat his back comfortingly and kissed the top of Sasuke's head.

"You'll just have to tell me everything when you get back with your chuunin vest." Naruto patted Sasuke's back and gave his pregnant lover a smile. Sasuke rolled his eyes and smirked.

"And for that," Sasuke turned in the direction of the kitchen, smirking at the blonde who was staring up at him with wide eyes in fear. Sasuke could imagine the brief moment of trepidation when he had hesitated in his sentence, the blonde probably thinking he had done something wrong, again. "I'm going to make you some ramen." The look of terror from Naruto's expression fled the second Sasuke mentioned ramen.

"Did I mention you're the best boyfriend ever?" Naruto grinned and headed back to the bedroom. "I'm gonna go finish getting dressed." Sasuke shook his head and smiled, he got into the kitchen and pulled out a pot and poured some water in it. Setting the pot on the stove, he turned said stove on before picking a stray package of instant ramen from the counter. Sasuke read the label, decided beef was good enough and opened it. Now all he had to was wait for the water to boil.

All was quiet in the house, Naruto getting dressed and he was in the kitchen. Somehow, it felt really right to Sasuke. Bringing his hand up to his stomach, Sasuke looked down and felt the small bump that was barely protruding out from his figure. Smiling down at his stomach, Sasuke ran his fingers over the expansion of his stomach. He heard the water start to bubble and in reaction to it he grabbed the container of ramen and ripped it open. Pouring the noodles into the bubbling water, Sasuke reached for a timer and set it for three minutes and he returned to feeling his stomach, standing over the cooking noodles.

The timer went off after three minutes and Sasuke grabbed the sauce packet and opened it. Dry contents slipped into the boiling water and Sasuke stirred them together. The smell of ramen cooking made it's way to Sasuke's nose and suddenly his stomach flipped. Turning off the stove, Sasuke made a quick getaway from the smell but his stomach was already revolting. He dashed into the hallway, pushed past Naruto and found the hallway bathroom quickly.

"It happened again?" Naruto asked. The only answer the blonde received was Sasuke retching into the toilet bowl. He could hear Naruto come into the bathroom, feel his the blonde's fingers running through his hair.

"I'll be fine, go get your ramen." Sasuke shooed the other man away. "Make me some toast while you're in there." Naruto gave a small smile, kissed the side of Sasuke's forehead and left the bathroom. Sasuke coughed and felt his stomach seize up again. The puking was getting easier to handle but he still wished he could just be done with it. Once he finished, he flushed the toilet and washed his hands and mouth. The smell of ramen wafted through the hallway as Sasuke made his way back to the kitchen and he grimaced as his stomach fluttered again. In the kitchen, Naruto was buttering some bread, half of the ramen already gone from the pot.

"Dobe, you should have gotten a bowl." Sasuke told the blonde as he moved to pick up the pot. Naruto glanced over and smiled.

"It's one less thing to wash, Teme." Naruto picked up the plate of toast, placed several pills next to the toast and held it out for Sasuke to take. "Here, leave that be, I'll get it." Sasuke rolled his eyes and took the plate of toast and pills instead of the pot. Naruto took the pot and followed Sasuke to the table, they both sat down and Sasuke grimaced. He could smell the ramen and his stomach slid sideways. The blonde noticed this and quickly started to down the ramen.

"Stop that, Dobe, you're going to choke." Sasuke picked up his toast and took a bite out of it.

"It's making you sick, I'm trying to finish it so you won't have to smell it anymore." Naruto said after he swallowed about half of the noodles.

"Usuratonkachi, you're being stupid." Sasuke gave the blonde an annoyed look and watched as Naruto wolfed down the rest in seconds.

"Too late, it's gone." Naruto beamed and stood up, taking the pot with him. "And I'm not being stupid." Sasuke took another bite out of his toast and raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"You're right, you're being ridiculous." Sasuke watched the blonde set the pot in the sink and turned around, smirking.

"You are such an asshole." Naruto turned back around and turned on the water to clean the pot. Sasuke smirked and finished his toast. Taking the pills into his hand, he tossed them into his mouth and swallowed them dry. Getting up, he took his plate and tried to nudge Naruto aside. "No, I got it. You go get ready or you're going to be late." The blonde looked over and watched Sasuke walk out of the kitchen, a smile on his face. Naruto finished washing the dishes and set them aside. He walked back into the living room to see Sasuke adjusting his pouch.

"Ok now, no killing, I know you're way stronger than any of them there but killing isn't nice." Naruto saw Sasuke's eyes roll. "And don't get hurt, no matter how easy you go on them." Naruto smiled and followed Sasuke to the front door.

"Got it." Sasuke leaned down to pull on is shoes. When he got up, Naruto pulled him into a deep kiss. Both of their eyes closed and Naruto pulled the Uchiha closer. When they broke apart Sasuke stepped out, his face slightly flushed.

"You're going to have to open the barrier later in the afternoon so we can get in without any trouble." Sasuke watched Naruto leaned against the doorframe and nod.

"Right. Bye, Teme!" Naruto waved as Sasuke turned away. Within minutes Sasuke was at the gate of the compound. He opened the gate and glanced at the bustling street before undoing the barrier. Everyone was heading for the arena where the third exam would take place. A lot of people looked over to him, knowing exactly who he was and that he would soon be participating in the main event of the day. Sasuke shut the doors and put the barrier back up, quickly slipping into the crowd. He walked leisurely, enjoying the sounds of a busy street and the good weather the summer was bringing.

Another reason why he was taking his time was because he wanted to prepare for what would happen today. Everything was in its last stages, the chuunin exams and Kyoko's seal. After it was over he and Naruto could go back to just hiding the fact that he was pregnant. If everything went according to the plan he had, it would be easy, way too easy. The likelihood of that happening seemed slim to none but Sasuke could always hope.

As he got closer to the arena, Sasuke parted from the crowds, moving to a side entrance that all the genin participating in the exam would meet. The sounds of the busy street quieted, a lone voice calling out his name in the distance. Turning around, it didn't take Sasuke long to see Sakura in the distance, waving as she walked closer with Shikamaru and Sai following close behind. Stopping in his tracks, Sasuke waited for them to catch up. Shikamaru looked bored while Sakura was practically beaming. He didn't bother looking at Sai, as far as he was concerned the male didn't exist.

"Big day today, huh?" Sakura sighed and stretched her arms out before letting them slap against her sides. "So where's Naruto? He's not going to miss the big day is he?" Sasuke shrugged his shoulders.

"That would be a shame." Sai commented lightly. His voice irritated Sasuke and he narrowed his eyes, refusing to look at Sai.

"I thought I'd let him sleep in today, he'll be here later." Sasuke glanced over at Shikamaru only to find the jonin staring at him, emotionless. His first unconscious thought was to look away but he fought it, staring right back at the other male.

"He better be, I'm saving a seat for him." Sakura rocked on her feet and looked from Sasuke to Shikamaru. By then, Sasuke had realized his mistake and broke eye contact with the other male, looking over to Sakura with a forced calm.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that." Sasuke nodded to her and then glanced at Shikamaru. "I have to go." Sasuke quickly looked away from the other male and made his getaway. With the extended eye contact, Sasuke had practically explained to the genius that Naruto was not coming and he was lying about it. There was nothing he could do now; he could only hope that Shikamaru would not act on the information. He was being overly paranoid, maybe the lazy ninja would think it was jitters or lack of sleep or something, nothing had to be wrong necessarily with extended eye contact.

"Good luck, Sasuke!" Sakura called out. He waved back at them without looking back. A jonin stood at the entrance Sasuke needed to enter, he gave Sasuke a glance over before standing aside. Sasuke walked past him, to busy thinking to himself that he shouldn't be focused on Shikamaru, there wasn't much the other man could do. Even if Shikamaru went to the compound it would be locked, Naruto knew to take the barrier down later.

The hallway led to a flight of stairs and Sasuke had no choice but to climb them, he shook thoughts of Shikamaru, the tournament was more important. At the top of the stairs, Sasuke saw the light of day at the end of another tunnel. He walked towards it and found himself outside again, in the middle of the arena. A proctor stood to the side, motioning for him to climb another set of stairs that would lead to the waiting area he and the rest of the contestants would watch opponents battle on the field.

The stands only seemed half full, people talking to each other to give the stadium a low thrum of sound around it. Sasuke made it to the top of the stairs and the first thing he saw was nine people looking back at him, Kyoko standing by the rail. Kyoko was the first to turn away from Sasuke, looking back out at the stadium with a half scared look. Sasuke glared down the rest of the kids easily and made his way over to the red head. Her red hair was braided with the spiked strap in it like always; with her green shirt and brown khaki's, Kyoko was barefoot.

Sasuke stood right next to the younger, shorter girl. He leaned against the rail so he was looking out at the stadium from her height and waited for Kyoko to speak first. "You never came and got me." Kyoko muttered quietly. The waiting area was decently sized but neither of them wanted their conversation to be listened in on.

"I wasn't able to finish it until last night, we'll go to the compound as soon as this is over." Sasuke responded. He looked over the growing crowds instead of at her.

"Naruto will be there won't he? Isn't that risky?" She asked quietly. Sasuke straightened up and rested his hands on the railing, feeling a few stares come to rest on him. All of the genin were jumpy and the tournament hadn't even started yet.

"I'll do what I did during the second exam, it won't be a problem." Sasuke muttered. Movement caught his eye and he glanced over at the stairs. The last team of genin had arrived and it seemed not a moment too soon. The stadium was quickly filling; the dull roar of chatter had risen tremendously over the past few minutes. He turned back to the arena, glancing over at the redhead. She was staring at the last genin to arrive and Sasuke could feel the nervousness coming off her in waves. Sasuke saw Kyoko raise her hand to her braid and he looked away.

"Stop that." Sasuke muttered quickly. The latest arrivals walked past them and took up residence in the corner of the waiting area; they gave everyone a glance over and then turned to each other.

"Stop what?" Kyoko nervously whispered. Her hand had already trailed down her braid and she reached up to run her hand through it again.

"Touching your hair, it's a tell that you're nervous." Sasuke turned back to the rail and watched as the redhead immediately put her hand down, eyes slightly wide in surprise.

"Sorry." Kyoko whispered and tried to act calmly. She leaned back over the railing and looked out at the crowds. "There sure are a lot of people here." She muttered louder.

"It's the Chuunin exams, everyone comes to see us." A genin from the mist snidely commented as he overheard her talking. Kyoko turned around at the other ninja, scared.

"Uh, I, I-" Kyoko stuttered. She stared at the ninja and then turned around suddenly. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed quietly.

"They're going to try and get under your skin now, you gave away your nervousness and then confirmed it by doing nothing." Sasuke murmured quietly. Kyoko still held a shocked expression when she turned around again. The redhead's mouth bobbed open and closed like a fish as she stared out into the stadium. Sasuke glanced behind his back, glaring at the few who stared back.

He turned back to the stadium. By now the rows were full of people, the Hokage and several other Kages in their box far above the crowds. Below, Anko was walking towards the middle of the stadium followed by several proctors, some that Sasuke recognized. Still, Kyoko's hand twitched, Sasuke saw this and tried to not let it bother him. It was her first time in a situation like this, he was having a little bit of a mood swing but it was going to be okay, everything was going to be okay.

"You'll be fine, you've gotten this far without anything happening." Sasuke watched as Anko waved her hand, recognizing the crowd and waiting for them to quiet down. He hoped that was all it would take to console the redhead.

"That's what I'm worried about." Kyoko whispered. Sasuke didn't have time to ask her what that meant because Anko was already starting to speak to the crowd and the other contestants were stepping forward to hear what she was going to say.


	11. Third Exam

**July 18th, still the tenth week**

Everyone stood a good distance from everyone else, all nervous that someone would try to pull something while they were busy listening to what Anko had to say. Sasuke kept a close eye on the mist ninja who had answered Kyoko; he would undoubtedly try something before the tournament began. His beady black eyes focused on the ground below but his hands were behind his back. Normally, the Hokage would have done the welcoming but from what Sasuke could see, the old woman had a hangover and was desperately trying not to let it show. She sat with her hands folded in her lap, next to Gaara with his dark red hair. So instead, Anko welcomed the crowds and Kage's enthusiastically.

It was then that the mist genin decided to act. His gloved hands sliding from behind his back with a kunai wrapped tightly under his fingers. Before the kunai could make it to Kyoko, his intended victim, Sasuke caught his hand without so much as looking over at him. The genin stiffened and attempted to pull his hand out of the Uchiha's grasp but Sasuke's grip was strong. The other teams of genin noticed and a girl cried out in surprise, jumping back. Sasuke watched as the mist genin looked up angrily at him and then back down at his entrapped hand.

"I suggest you drop it." Sasuke coolly told the genin. "Before I make you." This time Sasuke turned around and gave the thirteen year old a cold stare, flashing his Sharingan warningly. He dropped the kunai in surprise and jerked his whole body in attempt to get away. The genin refused to look Sasuke in the eye again, his stare never wavering above the Uchiha's chin.

"Don't." Sasuke emphasized the word without stressing it too harshly. "Try that again." Calmly, Sasuke let go and watched as the mist genin fall backwards, catching himself after a few steps. The rest of the genin watched warily as Sasuke turned around and listened to Anko finish her speech.

"So let the first match begin!" Anko cried out. She pointed up to the waiting area, looked up and grinned. The crowd roared in applause, everyone looked out at the crowd, trying to wrap their minds around anything.

"You heard her," Sasuke kept his voice calm, his words smooth and collected. "Let the first match begin." Sasuke couldn't help but smirk when the first two people both headed for the stairs. The Uchiha could feel their stares as they walked away.

The rest of the genin seemed to back off slowly. Kyoko glanced at all of them and then looked at Sasuke. "That was impressive." She murmured and watched as the two fighters walked into the center of the arena. Anko had left with the group of people leaving Genma, the proctor of the third exam when Sasuke had been thirteen. He motioned for the two contestants to come forward and watched as they did.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered back. Even though Sasuke had held up the front, he couldn't stop himself from bringing his hand up to his stomach and rubbing the nearly invisible bump comfortingly. Kyoko was to busy watching what was happening below to notice.

* * *

"Where are you going Shikamaru? The tournament is about to start." Sakura called out. She watched as Shikamaru turned around and scratched the back of his head. Luckily, Sakura was seated at the end of a row with an empty seat at the end of the aisle. Kiba, Sai and Shino sat next to the Sakura, Hinata, Ino and Chouji in the row below them. Everyone turned to look at the jonin expectantly only to have Shikamaru look up at the sky and shrug his shoulders.

"I'm going up to the walkway, I'm on duty today." Shikamaru turned and walked up the steps leaving his friends to watch him.

"Aw man, why does _he_ get paid on a holiday?" Kiba watched as Shikamaru went up the steps, frowning. Shino moved his hand to push up his glasses on his nose and Ino crossed her arms over her chest.

"You think he wanted to?" Ino slumped in her seat. "Tsunade pulled him on duty last minute because she out drank a few of the other jonin." Chouji nodded seriously.

"And he's actually doing it? That doesn't seem like Shikamaru at all." Sakura leaned down and looked at her friends with a curious expression.

"I guess Tsunade-sama finally found something to bribe Shikamaru-kun with." Hinata quietly spoke.

"Yeah, a day off whenever it gets cloudy." Kiba scoffed. Sakura leaned back and looked over her shoulder, looking for a mop of blonde hair in the crowds.

"I just hope Naruto comes before Sasuke starts to fight, it's practically about to start." Sakura worried. She didn't see Anko walk out onto the field but she did hear her start to yell. Turning back, she watched Anko talk and applauded when she finished.

"I'm sure he'll be here, he wouldn't miss Sasuke kicking ass, even if it killed him." Ino comforted her friend as Kiba hooted loudly beside them. Sakura nodded to her friend and looked over to the waiting area where Sasuke was looking down at the two contestants.

* * *

With a heavy sigh, Naruto collapsed back onto the bed, face down. After about three minutes after the Uchiha left, Naruto had finished cleaning the dishes and realized there was nothing to do. Without Sasuke, the compound was boring, he didn't want to sweep out dust from nearby houses or do any housekeeping in the house he now lived in.

So instead of being productive, the blonde just collapsed on the bed and complained to himself just how bored he was. Rolling onto his side, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's pillow and brought it to his face. He held it close and smelled it, closing his eyes as he did so.

Naruto wished he could have gone to see Sasuke, not only did he want to see his lover in action, he wanted to make sure that the Uchiha didn't get hurt. Moaning, Naruto buried his head farther into Sasuke's pillow. What was he going to do for the next few hours to keep himself from worrying?

* * *

"How do you feel about the participants in this years exam, Hokage-san?" Gaara quietly asked. He glanced over at the blonde woman, knowing that she was hung over just by the sour expression she had on her face.

"I hope they all do well quickly so this day can end." Tsunade grumbled just loud enough for the Kazekage to hear her. Gaara gave a small smile and turned to see the first battle start.

Bright green eyes scanned the crowds, looking for someone he knew would be in the crowds. He found bright pink hair that belonged to Sakura but there was no sign of messy blonde hair that Gaara recognized. The smile he held disappeared and he looked over to where the genin were waiting and found Sasuke easily.

Where was Naruto if Sasuke was here?

* * *

The first fight was boring for Sasuke; he could predict each and every move both genin used. After twenty minutes it was easy to see the clear victor and Genma ended the fight. A winner was declared and he was shown back up the stairs to the waiting area, he had acquired a bruise on his face and several tears on his shirt. He glared at everyone who looked at him, took a seat on a couch that was provided and sighed deeply. The few minutes that it took for him to fight seemed to take everything out of him; Sasuke could bet he wouldn't last long in the second round.

Now it was Kyoko's turn and Genma called out her name along with her opponents. She didn't move as her opponent shuffled down the stairs, the mist ninja who had tried to kill her. Instead she took a deep breath before walking around the Uchiha. "Bet you she doesn't last five minutes against that sound nin." A genin chuckled.

"Yeah, no one to protect her now." Another murmured as he came closer to the railing. Sasuke didn't pay them any mind, what they thought didn't affect how she did during her match. The crowd roared in applause as the two combatants entered the field. Genma waved them over and prepared them for the fight, Sasuke could see the redhead trying desperately not to let her fingers slid through her hair. Once Genma let the fight begin, the sound ninja immediately tried putting a genjutsu on her but she was quicker. His hand signs were quickly dropped when Kyoko's kunai attempted to pierce them.

Both darted around the field and Genma scooted backwards so as not to get in the way. The crowd was growing excited again, people cheering, their choices on and some were already drunk and screaming for ass' to be kicked. More kunai were thrown, shuriken tossed but Kyoko's were deflected, the sound ninjas weren't even close to their target. The boy found himself far enough from Kyoko he started to make hand signals for a genjutsu again.

The crowd went crazy, knowing what was going to happen. Kyoko seemed lost, watching. Instead of running away, hoping she would get out of range before he finished, Kyoko ran directly at the sound genin. Sasuke watched as the kid faltered for a split second, the noise was deafening as the crowd went crazy. Trying to make up for the time he lost, the sound ninja rushed through the signs and instead of the ox sign, he did the dragon. Kyoko didn't seem to see this and rushed at the male, she jumped in the air and flung her arms down at him, letting four kunai fly. Suddenly aware of how close the redhead was, the genin finished the hand signs but nothing happened. He took a step back tried for another but found that his feet wouldn't move.

Letting out a high-pitched cry of surprise, the sound ninja covered his face and cowered as Kyoko landed right in front of him. Reacting to the kid's cry, Kyoko let out a squeal of her own. She pulled another kunai from her pouch and slashed several times at her opponent. The crowd went crazy; they had seen with their own eyes that Kyoko had planted the kunai through the sound ninja's pants and into the ground. Now they assumed she was killing the other ninja.

Sasuke could see she wasn't actually hurting her opponent. Instead, she was cutting the clothes over all of his vital points, grazing his skin. The final action she attempted was to get at the mist ninjas neck but he struggled with her. All the genin leaned over the railing, no longer worried about each other but concerned with what was happening below them. Finally, Kyoko managed to get her kunai behind her opponents' hands and slid it against his neck. The male cried out in horror, leaning backwards since he was unable to move his feet. He fell and looked up at Kyoko with wide eyes.

"You're dead." Kyoko muttered. She was shaking as she pointed her kunai at him. "You're dead!" She screamed again. Her opponent watched, he tried opening his mouth to rebuke her but she shook her head. "Just look! You know where vital organs are! You're dead!" She didn't move after that and watched as her opponent looked at his clothes. The crowd had settled only momentarily to see what Kyoko had done before it grew louder again.

Genma came walking up, looked the mist ninja over and looked back up at the crowd. Sasuke listened as the older male announced Kyoko the winner. The crowd had mixed feelings, some were outraged that the fight had ended early; others were ecstatic that someone had won. The sound ninja tried to get up to fight but Kyoko leaned down and he cowered backwards. She pulled the four kunai out of the ground, turned and walked away. It took a minute but the boy stood up and ran his hands through his hair, turning around several times.

What he did not know was that at some point during the battle and his scare, he had peed in his pants. A large dark stain had formed in the crotch of his pants and he was unknowingly showing it to everyone in the crowds. Sasuke didn't know how someone could be so scared to piss in his pants and not realize it. Had he really been that scared? The crowds had immediately delved into laughter; the mist genin was still pacing, unaware of the growing commotion.

Kyoko was already walking back up the stairs and making her way back to stand next to Sasuke. She had stopped shaking and looked at all the other genin warningly before turning to look at the arena.

"I didn't realize he had wet himself until after I had pulled the kunai out. I didn't know what else to do though." Kyoko murmured. A few of the genin laughed. By now the sound genin had noticed that he had peed in his pants and was trying to cover it up. He ran out the way everyone had come in, the crowd laughing at him as he left.

* * *

"Holy crap! Did you guys see that?" Kiba cried between fits of laughter. Sakura and Ino were trying to hide their smiles behind their hands, Hinata was watching the genin leave with a sad expression. Shino's expression was impossible to tell behind glasses and a tall collar and Chouji had pulled out a bag of barbeque chips and was munching on them with a smile on his face.

"The poor kid." Hinata quietly said. Her comment was almost drowned out by applause but their group heard it.

"She's pretty good, a little nervous but not terrible." Ino put her hand down but her smile still remained. Sakura leaned backwards and looked over the crowd. She looked up to where the Kage's private box and swore she could see Gaara staring back from above. Turning back around to face the front, she looked at the empty seat next to her.

"Naruto would have loved to see that." Sakura said almost longingly. Ino turned around and frowned.

"It's not like him to be this late." Ino told the pink haired girl.

"I know it's just, I'm starting to get worried." Sakura told her friend.

* * *

"She's, interesting." Gaara stated quietly.

Who is she?" Tsunade asked. She massaged her temple and closed her eyes; the crowd was making her headache worse.

"Hokage-sama," A jonin on the guard spoke up behind her chair. "I believe she is originally from Konoha, she came back from the Toad Mountain just in time for the exam." Tsunade glared over her shoulder darkly and the jonin stiffened.

"Why would Konoha send a little girl to the mountain?" Gaara asked. His voice was calm and level but the jonin still stuttered out an answer.

"She, her orders were never found and she said she was never given a copy of them." The jonin suddenly stopped and looked away, nervousness emanating from him.

"It obviously wasn't a big deal if the orders were lost." Tsunade muttered. Gaara chose not to comment as the next pair of opponents stepped out onto the field.

* * *

This was getting boring. Naruto had been lying on the bed for what felt like forever. Rolling onto his stomach, Naruto looked over at the nightstand and checked the clock. It read 11:40 a.m.

"Gah!" Naruto exasperatedly cried. "This day will never end!" He pulled Sasuke's pillow over his head and sighed. Lying there for another minute, the blonde pulled the pillow off his head and rolled off the bed.

Catching himself on his own two feet, Naruto stood up straight and stretched. "Might as well get some lunch while I'm bored out of my mind." Naruto told himself.

He walked to the kitchen and dug up a package of ramen from the cabinet. With a grin on his face and a random tune on his mind, Naruto started to prepare himself some ramen. Once he had water in a pot on the stove, Naruto opened the package and set it aside, waiting for the water to boil. A thought came to his mind and he sighed, leaning against the counter and looked up at the ceiling.

"I wonder when the exams will be over," Naruto wondered aloud. "Maybe I should just open the gate in a couple hours and wait for them to show up. There's no way I'd be able to get it right without being a little early."

Giving the ceiling a thoughtful look, Naruto tried to pick a time that he thought would be good. Before he knew it, the water was boiling. Putting all of his attention on his lunch, Naruto let putting the barrier down slip from his mind for the moment.

"Ah! Ramen!" Naruto hummed tunelessly as he set the ramen in and moved to set the timer. "I'll be eating you in no time!" With a smile, Naruto watched as his ramen cooked.

* * *

The rest of the matches were just as boring as the first for Sasuke, none of them posed a challenge and their squabbling only wasted time. It took another hour before it was Sasuke's turn to fight. When Genma spoke his name the crowds were obnoxiously loud, louder than they had been all day. Sasuke was only able to catch his opponents' last name over the roar of the crowd, Kawakami. His opponent was jumpy, eyes darting from Sasuke to the stairs. With a single motion of his hand, Sasuke let the sand ninja go first down the stairs.

While Kawakami was heading for the stairs, Sasuke hopped up onto the rail and jumped down below. The crowd watched as Sasuke fell, then disappeared seconds before his feet would the ground. Much to the crowd's surprise, Sasuke reappeared in a whirl of leaves standing next to Genma, waiting for his opponent to catch up. Said opponent stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Sasuke was already waiting for him. Shuffling over to the middle of the arena, the male kept his eyes on Sasuke.

Once Kawakami made it to the center of the arena where Sasuke was waiting for him, Genma raised his hand and started the fight. The arena was alive with cheering; it felt like he was thirteen again. Kawakami would not stop staring at him and it was starting to piss Sasuke off. His opponent was daring him to use his Sharingan; he probably had some idea of a plan he would use if Sasuke decided to use it. Instead, Sasuke used his speed to catch the ninja off guard.

Sasuke had put the crowd out of his mind; it was just background noise for him. Instead, he listened to the breathing of his opponent; he heard an inhaling breath of surprise from Kawakami as he moved behind his opponent. Taking a kunai out of his pouch, Sasuke slid it across the sand genin's throat and waited. His opponent didn't move, his breathing calm but it was forced. They stood like that for a few seconds and Sasuke flicked the kunai upwards; his opponent's head bobbing upwards with it.

"What are you waiting for?" Sasuke spoke quietly. Kawakami glanced back at him with a lopsided smirk.

"That was my line." The sand genin told Sasuke. Tilting his head to the side just a fraction, Sasuke flicked the kunai upwards again.

"You're the one with the plan," Sasuke told him. "What else would you be waiting for?" Kawakami turned his head to smirk at Sasuke. Both moved quickly, the sand genin pushed Sasuke's kunai away from his throat as he lashed out with a kunai of his own. Sasuke darted away, turning into a backflip to put some distance between the kunai and his stomach.

Kawakami chased after him, with a kunai in one hand and the other a fist. He attacked with the kunai first and then attempted to punch Sasuke when he dodged the weapon. It was a simple tactic but was hard to pull off without being noticed and the Uchiha saw right through it. He dodged the kunai on purpose, allowing himself to be put in front of the other's fist. The sand genin smirked, thinking he had won. As Sasuke predicted Kawakami pulled a kunai, most likely dipped in poison, and thrust it at the Uchiha.

Of course Sasuke had expected this and had already replaced himself with a substitution. While the sand genin was stabbing the block of wood, Sasuke was moving behind him slipping the kunai against Kawakami's throat again. After the substitution was dispelled with the kunai, the block of wood dropped to the ground and the sand genin let his arms fall, head turning to see Sasuke behind him and feeling the kunai press against his throat.

"If you're just going to toy with me why not just kill me?" Kawakami asked. Sasuke leaned forward and with a steel expression whispered into his opponents' ear.

"Killing you would do nothing. I just have to prove my ability." Sasuke watched as the sand genin twitched, preparing to attack the Uchiha. He knew now for certain that Sasuke wasn't going to kill him. This time Sasuke moved before Kawakami did, darting backwards as Kawakami pulled shuriken out of his sleeves and flung them behind his back. It was easy to dodge them and Sasuke pulled out several kunai with invisible wire attached the ring holds. He planted half of them into the ground in one swift motion. Kawakami had turned around and was running towards him, hand stuffed inside his sleeves as he tried to collect more shuriken. Waiting for the right moment, Sasuke watched carefully.

When the sand genin was just about to throw his weapons, Sasuke threw his first. Kawakami had to duck in order to save himself from being hit. The Uchiha's aim had been off, it went over his head at a steep angle and landed tip down in the ground. He was about to make a smart comment when he straightened up and found his head butting against something. With a look of surprise, Kawakami threw his shuriken and looked up to figure what he was feeling. Sasuke jumped out of the way; pulling several more kunai with invisible wire tied to them and threw them at the sand genin again.

Kawakami ducked as the kunai went almost above his head and he had to think, why was the infamous Uchiha so bad at aiming? He tried to stand straight but found that he couldn't, he raised his hands to feel what was hindering him. Sasuke watched as his eyes widened in realization, he walked over to where the kunai had dug into the ground and trapped Kawakami. The sand genin slipped his head through the wires and glared at the Uchiha as he came closer.

Without taking his eyes off of Kawakami, Sasuke raised his foot and set it down on top of one of the wires and watched as it dipped under the weight. Kawakami felt the wire bite down into his shoulder, he tried to ignore it but Sasuke put all of his weight on it as he placed his other foot on the other wire. Kawakami staggered, bending his knees to try to escape the super sharp wire pressing down on his collarbone.

"Give up." Sasuke smirked. He had to speak loud to be heard over the roar of the crowd. "Or lie on the ground until Genma decides you've had enough humiliation." Kawakami scowled but did nothing so Sasuke inched his feet closer and watched the sand genin sink even lower. Blood started to soak into his clothes; it dripped down his arms and fell from his fingertips. When his opponent again did nothing, Sasuke took a generous step and watched as Kawakami sunk to his knees and turned his head to Genma.

"I forfeit!" Kawakami called out.

* * *

"Well that's no fun." Ino rolled her eyes and looked up at the rest of her friends. Hinata and Chouji were clapping lightly while Kiba just rubbed his nose and Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "I expected Sasuke's match to be more fun like that redheaded chick earlier. His was just as boring as the others though." Sasuke had stepped off the wires and cut them, allowing Toshio Kawakami to walk away freely. The group watched as Sasuke picked up the kunai and stowed them away.

"Anything political is boring," Kiba muttered and slouched in his seat. All the people below him looked up questioningly.

"Sasuke was facing a genin from the sand, he could kill him if he wanted too, instead he just made him surrender. It's embarrassing but it won't cause any damage to the relationship between the sand and the leaf." Sakura clarified.

"Why would Sasuke be worried about politics?" Hinata asked. Kiba leaned down and spoke in a hushed tone; the others had to lean towards him to hear.

"If Sasuke had killed the kid, everyone from the sand would riot, everyone knows he's way to good to be a genin and the Kazekage would have to act." Kiba sighed and shook his head, straightening back up. "I'd hate to be in his position, always trying to balance everything out, it's not easy."

"Ah, Sasuke hasn't caught a break since he came back." Ino murmured as she turned around. Sakura looked down at Sasuke, watching him pocket the kunai and then leaned forward, staring intently at the Uchiha's body.

"Hey," Sakura leaned down to pat Ino on the shoulder and pointed to Sasuke. "Is it me or did Sasuke gain a little weight?" Ino glanced up at her friend and then looked closer at the Uchiha.

"What are you talking about? He looks like he always looks." Chouji squinted down at the field but shook his head.

"No, Sakura's right. He did get the tiniest bit bigger in the middle, must be the ramen Naruto has everyday." Ino sighed. "Our beloved Sasuke is losing the fight against noodles." Kiba rolled his eyes and shook his head, thinking that the two girls were crazy.

"Where the hell is Naruto?" The dog lover asked exasperatedly.

* * *

Tsunade sighed heavily and Gaara glanced over at her again.

"Are you bored Hokage-sama?" The redhead asked. The blonde shook her head and gave the field a hard stare.

"I was just wondering why I needed to have the Uchiha participate in this, it'd be a farce if he wasn't so damn smart." Tsunade grumbled. Gaara stared at her for a few seconds and then looked away. "The stupid brat would probably have asked to participate if I had given him a choice."

"Oh?" Gaara asked quietly. Tsunade looked over at the redhead, frowning.

"You know how good Sasuke is, the only reason he didn't kill him or humiliate him further was purely political." Gaara shrugged his shoulders.

"Or to prove his comprehension and abilities to accomplish something based on those comprehensions exceed the level of a genin." Gaara glanced over at the blonde woman, watching her roll her eyes and rest her head on her hand.

"Ah, Kazekage-sama, when did you become so eloquent in making speeches?" She asked. The annoyance dripped off her tongue but the Kazekage simply looked back to the arena.

"I'm merely commenting on how well trained the leaf genin are." Tsunade said nothing. She knew Gaara was attempting to keep civilities between them. If her hangover hadn't been as bad as it was, she probably would have been able to keep them herself.

* * *

He was bored again. Naruto had finished his ramen, washed the dishes and collapsed back down in his chair at the kitchen table. It was still too early to go unseal the barrier. Sighing heavily, the blonde set his head on the table, wondering what he was going to do. He must have sat there for a few minutes, letting his mind wander. Suddenly, Naruto sat up with his eyes wide.

"Of course!" He cried out and smacked his fist into his own open palm. With a grin, Naruto got up from the table and walked through the house back to the master bedroom and bathroom.

With a chuckle, Naruto stepped into the bathroom, leaving the door open and moved to open the lid and seat of the toilet. "Why didn't I think of this before?" Naruto asked himself. He straightened and pulled off his pants and underwear in one swift movement.

"It's been a really long time since I've done this." The blonde whispered to himself. He grabbed his soft length and pumped it a few times. Watching himself, Naruto found his smile wavering. After few more seconds of it, Naruto frowned and sighed. "No wonder, this is not nearly as fun as the real thing." Naruto muttered. He looked around the bathroom and then down at himself. Not sure if he should stop or continue, Naruto closed his eyes and let his mind wander again.

Sasuke immediately came to his mind, his coal black eyes that painted a thousand pictures, pale pink lips that uttered harsh words and moved so sensually against his own. His lover's body was hard from years of training and Naruto knew every inch of it. Naruto could make Sasuke squirm, sigh, cry out and if he really wanted to, plead; there had even been a time when the blonde had surprised the Uchiha into squeaking.

The memory of it brought a smile back to the blonde's expression as pleasure started to build. Not wanting to stop now, Naruto bit his lip and stroked himself faster. He imagined Sasuke behind him, the hand stroking his quickly growing erection wasn't his own but the Uchiha's. With a grunt, Naruto tilted his head downwards but continued to keep his eyes closed. The blonde imagined Sasuke's body pressed against his, hot breath against his neck. He could almost feel the erection resting in the crease of his buttocks and moaned at the thought of it.

Rubbing his finger over his own slit, Naruto jerked his hips forward, attempting to gain more friction. If Sasuke were there and jerking him off he'd probably say something mean and arousing.

Just imagining it made Naruto quiver in excitement, he opened his mouth and gasped as jerking himself off allowed him to reach his climax. With a heavy sigh, Naruto opened his eyes as he came.

"Mh," Naruto murmured to himself. "Definitely not as good as the real thing but I guess I'll have to make do." He leaned down and flushed the toilet, then pulled his pants back up so he could walk over to the sink.

Humming a random tune, the blonde washed his hands and dried them. He left the bathroom and looked around, the clock told him that a little over an hour had passed since he had decided to make ramen. It wasn't even one in the afternoon yet! Naruto frowned and scratched the back of his head in frustration. "When will this day end?" He cried out and collapsed on the bed, groaning into the mattress. It was then he knew exactly what he could do. Opening his blue eyes, a grin spread across his face.

* * *

Sasuke met Kyoko on the stairs; she hesitated on the stairs as he continued to climb. She opened her mouth as if she was about to say something but she closed her mouth soon after opening it. Her opponent followed her down the stairs, favoring his left leg.

They passed each other and Sasuke found his spot had been taken over by all the genin who had gathered together, no longer worried about foul play. Instead of causing a fight with the thirteen year olds, Sasuke walked past them and leaned against the wall, looking over the railing casually with his arms crossed. He knew there wouldn't be much in this fight, Kyoko would have more confidence since she knew what to expect with this opponent. The people watching had seemed to take a liking to the redhead, with every move she made the crowd was screaming or applauding.

It wasn't until Kyoko had set a shuriken into her opponents' good leg that he gave in. The crowd's roar was stifled compared to when Kyoko had first won; her victory had come on suddenly, without climax. Kyoko stayed until her opponent was placed on a stretcher, unsure of what to do. Genma spoke to her quietly and nodded at the waiting area as the crowd delved into chattering. They all wondered why she was staying with her opponent and talked it over with their neighbors. Nodding, Kyoko watched as they moved her opponent out of the arena before walking back to the waiting area. In order to quiet the crowds down, Genma raised his hands and called out the next two combatants.

Sasuke saw the two head for the stairs, only seven of the fourteen people remained and the waiting area was quickly emptying. Kyoko rejoined him, giving the Uchiha distance and crossed her arms over the railing. "You're amazing Sasuke," She murmured. "How am I supposed to get a chuunin ranking if I'm nowhere near as good as you are?" Kyoko lifted her hand then slammed it back down on the railing, her fingers clenching into a fist.

Sasuke turned his head to look at her, blinked and looked away. "Just fight to the best of your ability." He answered her. Kyoko didn't say anything as the next round began, she, along with Sasuke watched as the genin quarreled. Sasuke didn't even twitch as the next two battles went by but Kyoko couldn't stop shifting.

As soon as the winner of the last match came up the stairs, Kyoko stiffly headed for the stairs. She passed her opponent who's teammate was the loser of the last round. She had been badly wounded and taken out on a stretcher. Glancing over to see the redhead leave, Sasuke watched as the last winner smirked at him before sitting down on a couch, bleeding from his arm onto his seat. He looked over at Kyoko's opponent who had a grim expression set on his face, he stood at the railing for a few seconds after his name was called before moving. Turning his attention back to the arena, Sasuke listened to the crowds as they cheered on the two semifinalists. It was almost over, only a little longer until he could go back home to Naruto.

"She's going to lose, you know." His opponent called out to him. Glancing over to the genin, Sasuke blinked and turned away. He didn't really care what kind of tactics his opponent tried to use. "Even with the crowd on her side, she'll lose." The genin tilted his head to the side and made his bones crack. "She's afraid." Sasuke didn't respond. Instead, Sasuke glanced down at his stomach, his fingers ghosting over his stomach.

The crowds grew restless, the battle had started and Sasuke looked up to see the redhead dodging barrages of kunai and shuriken. Her opponent was ruthless with weapons but Kyoko was quick on her feet. Five minutes passed and it seemed as if Kyoko's opponent would not run out of kunai. Finally, Kyoko went on the offensive. Taking half a dozen kunai from the ground, the redhead tossed them at her opponent. The fight had begun.

* * *

"She's quite talented." Hinata spoke up. She glanced over at her friends to see them nodding in agreement.

"Other than Sasuke, she may be the only one to pass and become a Chuunin." Chouji commented. "She's wearing the headband of the leaf but I've never seen her before." Sakura and Kiba both leaned forward in their seats to look closely as Kyoko maneuvered about the field.

"You're right, she is a ninja from Konoha." Kiba leaned back again, a look of confusion on his face.

"I can't say I've seen her around either, that's rather strange isn't it?" Sakura asked. Ino raised her hand over her shoulder and made a waving motion.

"Yes, yes but we can always get to know her after the exams." Ino shushed them. "I want to see what she does." They all watched as the two genin fought, each grew tired, their kunai each just barely grazing their opponents. The redhead seemed to have thrown all the kunai in her reach and was trying desperately to find one more.

"Uh oh, looks like she's in trouble." Kiba spoke aloud. Ino turned around and glared at him.

"Shh! She'll figure something out." Ino hissed. Kiba shrugged noncommittally and the blonde turned back around. Kyoko continued to dodge kunai, moving closer to her opponent slowly. Just as Ino said; the redhead had backed her opponent away from the field of kunai that she had thrown and picked them up. Her opponent stopped throwing kunai, having run out of them. The crowds cheered as Kyoko continued to press her opponent backwards until her back met the wall of the arena. Ino let out a cry of excitement, pumping her fist into the air.

Kyoko let a single kunai fly; it embedded itself in the wall right next to her opponent's head. Her opponent did nothing, so the redhead tossed another kunai. It landed on the other side of her opponent's head and he flinched. The crowd was in an uproar, everyone around them cheering loudly. For a third time, Kyoko released a kunai and it dug into the wall centimeters above her opponent's head. This time he ducked downwards and cried out, screaming that he was forfeiting.

"See! I knew she would do it!" Ino cried as she clapped loudly. The crowd went wild in applause. Genma announced Kyoko the winner and motioned for her to return to the waiting area. Sakura nodded and smiled, clapping happily as her friends cheered the girl on. Turning to the empty chair next to her, the pink haired girl frowned. Where in the world was Naruto? Leaning towards the stairway, she looked up and tried to find Shikamaru who probably had not gone far from where they were seated.

"Sakura? What are you doing?" Kiba asked. Glancing back at him, Sakura huffed in frustration and turned back to the stairway.

"Looking for Shikamaru, I'm going to see if he can go get Naruto." Sakura leaned farther in her seat but couldn't seem to find the lazy jonin at the top of the stairs.

"Oh yeah, make him work for that pay." Kiba smirked and leaned over, trying to look for Shikamaru as well.

"You guys are crazy." Ino shook her head and rolled her eyes.

* * *

Humming to himself, Naruto made his way to the stairs that led to the attic. He had pulled it down before he had grabbed all of Sasuke's boxers and shoved them all into a cardboard box. It was an ingenious plan, much better than hiding them under the kitchen sink if he did say so himself. They had already gone through the attic and reorganized everything; there would be no need for him to go searching up there for a long time.

Sasuke would never find his boxers and there wasn't anything his lover could use to blackmail him with. He was already withholding sex. There wasn't much else Naruto needed. As he climbed the steps, one hand on the rung and the other pressing the cardboard box to his side, Naruto hesitated, thinking. Okay, so Sasuke could throw out all his ramen. That would not be a good experience, but he could always buy more. If he was really craving it he could always go to Ichiraku's. Yeah, he could handle anything Sasuke attempted to dish out.

The attic was dark but at least the dust hadn't resettled, Naruto looked around and walked over to a small pile of boxes close to the door and set the box full of boxer shorts on top. Naruto dusted his hands off against each other and grinned at his work. Time must have flown by for the blonde, it had to be around the time he could go open the shield. It felt like it took hours to get all the Uchiha's boxers to fit in one small container but he had done it, with the help of some tape and brute force.

Climbing back down the stairs, Naruto lifted the stairs back into their previous position and continued to hum as he ventured back into his bedroom to glance at the clock. Wait, no he wanted to make it a surprise. Naruto refused to look at the clock and jumped onto the bed, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath and shifted in the direction where the clock would be readable.

* * *

Sasuke glanced over at the stairs and watched Kyoko come up them. His opponent in the next round sat straight up, his eyes wide and mouth agape. Kyoko gave the other male a weird look before moving to the railing. She was covered in long, thin scratches from where her opponent's kunai had scratched her. One had seemed to catch her cheek and was dribbling profusely. Kyoko tilted her head and pressed her cheek down against her shoulder in an attempt to stop the blood flow.

Moving to the stairs, Sasuke gave Kyoko a nod and turned away. It was not long before his opponent followed him. The crowd was roaring at him, deafeningly loud. He took his time walking from the edge of the field to the center where Genma awaited them. Once he was there he turned around, arms crossed over his chest, to find his opponent, last name Nakano, was smirking at him. The crowd was so loud that the Uchiha had a hard time hearing Genma announce for them to start but he backed up all the same.

"I guess he just couldn't compete." Nakano shrugged his shoulders haughtily. Sasuke watched indifferently. Nakano noticed this and frowned. "But I know how to beat you." Sasuke snorted quietly.

"Hn." The Uchiha raised an eyebrow, daring Nakano to act.

"Don't believe me?" Nakano's smirk returned. He slipped his hand behind his back to pull a kunai from his pouch. "Then let me show you." Nakano threw the kunai, Sasuke dodged and watched as his opponent ran at him.

Keeping a safe distance, the Uchiha let Nakano come closer. Once he was close enough, Nakano slipped a kunai from his sleeve and swung at Sasuke's abdomen. Jerking back in surprise, Sasuke kicked the hand and did several back flips to get some distance from his attacker. Coming to a stop half a dozen meters away, Sasuke crouched down on one knee. He glared at Nakano harshly, how did he know to target that specific part of his body? The crowd was annoyingly loud in his ears, drumming inconsistently with his heartbeat.

"It took a while for me to notice but I see your weakness and I will exploit it." Nakano grinned darkly and charged at the Uchiha. Attack after attack, Sasuke dodged them all, letting Nakano get close but jumped away right before he was in his opponent's reach.

* * *

"Ah! Shikamaru!" Sakura called out. She waved her hand and smiled, catching said Jonin's attention. From his spot above, Shikamaru looked down at the waving pinkette and sighed.

Sakura watched as Shikamaru slowly come down the steps, waiting impatiently for him to come close enough she wouldn't have to yell to be heard. Shikamaru watched the battle going on below as he walked, frowning.

"What do you guys want?" Shikamaru set his hands on his hips and turned his attention from Sasuke to his friends. Sakura smiled kindly and clasped her hands together.

"Naruto still isn't here and the exam is almost over, can you go to the compound and see if you can find him. He would hate that he missed Sasuke becoming a chuunin." Sakura pleaded. Shikamaru sighed and rolled his eyes, linking his fingers together behind his head. "Pretty please?" Sakura gave him the puppy dog look and waited for the higher ranked ninja to respond.

"Just go do it Shikamaru, you're already getting paid to walk around." Ino turned her head and gave Shikamaru a serious look.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered. He turned around and waved his hand at them. "Fine, fine." He said before Sakura could ask if he was going to do it or not. Without another word he disappeared, leaving Sakura to turn back to watch the fight.

* * *

"Has Sasuke been injured recently?" Gaara quietly asked. He turned to look over at the Hokage with a blank expression. Tsunade lifted her head and looked to the arena.

"No, not that I can recall." Tsunade murmured. She squinted down at the Uchiha and watched as he dodged his opponent's attacks almost clumsily. Instead of leaning backwards, he stuck his ass out and curling his body inwards, leaving his head and neck open for an attack. Both Kages watched with great interest as Sasuke did this movement again and again, nearly dodging the attacks aimed at his neck. The Uchiha did a roundhouse kick to his attackers head and darted away, setting up for a counter attack. "I guess he and Naruto went a little to hard last night, there's no other way to account for it." Tsunade wavered hand and shook her head. Gaara's eyes narrowed as he watched Sasuke make hand signs for a very complex genjutsu.

"Does he always move like that, after?" Gaara asked. Tsunade sighed heavily but didn't look away from the fight below.

"How am I supposed to know? We took him off probation a little over two months ago. What he does in his free time is no longer my personal business." Tsunade muttered. The cheering was making her headache worse and she was trying her best not to snap at the Kazekage.

Gaara didn't respond, too focused on the fight to reply. Sasuke had finished the hand signs and put the genjutsu in place. His opponent didn't realize Sasuke had put him in a genjutsu and continued to fight with air. Everyone watched as Nakano laughed at the supposed Sasuke, threw a kunai at the air and proclaimed himself the victor. Sasuke stood on the side, watching disinterestedly. When Nakano started laughing, the Uchiha walked up to him, pulling a kunai out.

Sliding the kunai under his opponents chin, he released the genjutsu and watched as Nakano stopped laughing, looked around wildly and then tried to turn around only to have Sasuke stop him. Everyone watched as Sasuke spoke into Nakano's ear, probably whispering a death threat. Gaara shifted in his seat, something was off. He looked around the stadium as Nakano admitted defeat but he could not find the mop of blonde hair that belonged to his friend. Naruto was not in the stadium.

* * *

His fists were trembling as he let Nakano go. He had already admitted defeat but that wasn't enough to satisfy the Uchiha. The kid didn't know anything other than something was wrong with his lower body and that was why Nakano had attacked him there. Yet, he couldn't do anything, the kid had already admitted defeat. As long as Nakano didn't figure out why he was protecting his lower body he wouldn't need to do anything.

Nakano gave him a dirty look and stalked off, Sasuke watched him go from where he stood, hands clenched tightly into fists. He didn't feel the need to walk back up to the waiting area because he would just have to come back down with Kyoko. Turning to the waiting area, he saw Kyoko looking down at him. With a nod of his head, Sasuke motioned for her to come down and turned away from her to look to the crowd.

Almost at once, he caught sight of Sakura, her pink hair sticking out like a sore thumb. She waved at him, the rest of the group only smiling and clapping. Sasuke noticed the empty seat and glanced back at Sakura who smiled brightly and gave him a-thumbs up.

Sasuke's stomach dropped, he had a very bad feeling. Something was not going to go according to plan, something was wrong.


	12. Secrets Secrets Are No Fun

**July 18th, still the tenth week**

Shikamaru arrived at the Uchiha compound at his own pace; he looked at the barrier as he slowed down to a walking pace. A few minutes later he was standing outside the gate, he looked at the closed doors and then sighed.

"Troublesome." He muttered and moved to the opposite side of the street to sit. Sakura and Ino would just tell him to come back until he had the blonde so instead of wasting the effort, he would wait for the blonde and maybe spend some time looking at the clouds.

* * *

Daring to open his eyes, Naruto glanced up and the clock and sighed. There was still plenty of time before the exams were over but Naruto was just to damn bored to do anything else. It hadn't taken even fifteen minutes to hide all of Sasuke's boxers. Maybe he should have made it a game, hiding every pair of boxers in a different place, like hide and go seek. But he didn't want to have to go back up to the attic and move them; it was too much effort when he was bored out of his mind.

"It's not like anything's going to happen if I open it a little early." The blonde mumbled to himself. Getting up, he stretched and left the bedroom. Moving to the entryway, Naruto put on his shoes and opened the door. The summer sun was bright compared to the dark house; Naruto raised his arm to shield his eyes and frowned. He would have to open more windows during the day to let light in.

Closing the door behind him, Naruto paced himself at a stroll, sticking his hands inside of his pockets. "Mah, I hope Sasuke is doing alright." The blonde mumbled to himself. Naruto didn't know why but the silence of the compound around him seemed to reek of foreboding and it gave the blonde the creeps.

"Heh," Naruto chuckled and smiled. "I'm not worried, Sasuke is going to be fine." The blonde reassured himself as he walked through the maze of empty houses.

* * *

Sasuke watched as Kyoko came down, meeting him in the center. Her wounds had all but faded, merely long, paper edge thin scratches and open tears in her clothes. He doubted anyone else would notice but he would have to be careful in getting her back to the compound. Genma had called her name as she made her way over and the crowd was ecstatic. The older male told them to begin and backed away. Kyoko was too nervous to let her eyes wander the crowd, she stared at Sasuke and he smirked.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you." He told her. The redhead's fists were shaking and she raised her hand to her hair. He had already pointed out that tell to her, was she so scared she forgot everything? "Forfeit when you want or I will kill you."

"O-okay." She told him before her hand flicked from behind her head. Her aim was solid, if Sasuke hadn't dodged, it would have hit his head. The crowd was cheering loudly, their two favorites in the finals and it was on. Kyoko was careful not to let any of her attacks come near Sasuke's stomach and Sasuke was grateful for that, not that he was going to go easy on the redhead. Returning fire, Kyoko dodged with skill but no confidence. She did a back flip, leaving something on the ground, but with a swift move covered it in dirt. Sasuke saw this but continued on, knowing a smoke bomb tag when he saw one.

The Uchiha continued to force her backwards and was careful not to step on the tag. He watched as Kyoko frowned nervously at him missing the tag and went back on the offensive. She had stored her last opponent's kunai in her pouch and was using them with careful aim. They both were careful, Kyoko keeping a balance between attacking and defending. She did well to keep Sasuke in the area where her bomb tag was but the Uchiha just stepped over it again and again.

Finally growing frustrated, Kyoko pushed Sasuke backwards, away from the tag and purposefully aimed at it. Sasuke expected as much and jumped into the air just as the tag exploded. From above, Sasuke could see Kyoko looking around wildly, kunai in hand. She didn't even think to look up. Quietly, Sasuke pulled several kunai out, wires attached to the ring hold.

A single kunai slipped in his grasp, clinking against another quietly. Sasuke acted as he watched Kyoko stiffen, throwing the kunai in two different directions, they created a net that would hold the redhead down. As Sasuke descended, Kyoko put her hands in front of her as a shield and as the wire hit her skin she pulled her hand with the kunai downwards. It cut the wires with a deep 'twang' and the redhead was darting underneath and past Sasuke as he dropped to the ground.

Sasuke flipped around and threw another barrage of kunai into the cloud of smoke Kyoko had disappeared into. Rolling into his landing, careful of his stomach, Sasuke focused on the cloud; ready for anything she might throw at him. There would be no point in going into the smoke; Kyoko was no doubt waiting for it. Instead he waited for the smoke to dissipate, her element of surprise would be ruined. As he waited, he paced. Walking around the smoke, Sasuke kept his eye on the shadowy figure inside of it. The crowd had simmered down, waiting to see what would happen next. Once the smoke had mostly dissipated, Sasuke could see Kyoko looking around wildly for the Uchiha. Inside the smoke her vision was blurred, a most opportune moment for him.

Suddenly, the redhead's face appeared out of the smoke, disappearing back into it before the Uchiha could do anything. Something flickered at the edge of his vision; it was a genjutsu, smart, tricky. Kyoko definitely was giving her all no matter how terrified she was. "Release." Sasuke whispered. The world flickered again and he was looking at the real world again. She was good, but not that good. Kyoko was still hiding in the smoke; she hadn't heard him release the genjutsu. Stalking up to her silently was child's play; he eased several shuriken out and took careful aim. Kyoko turned just as Sasuke threw his first shuriken. It whizzed past her head, digging itself into the skin of her cheek and ear.

"Hi-ah!" The redhead cried out in surprise, she fell backwards. Staggering to stand up, she reached for her pouch but Sasuke kept he unbalanced. He threw another shuriken and caught her shoulder. "Aah!" Kyoko cried out in pain. She pulled her arm from behind her back, kunai in hand. Reaching with her free hand, she gripped the shuriken and pulled it out from her shoulder with a pained grunt. Sasuke gave her enough time to toss the shuriken away before tossing two more at her. She managed to deflect one of them but the other imbedded itself into her hand that held the kunai.

Kyoko's face contorted in pain and she dropped the kunai. "Eh-aah," The redhead whimpered as she gripped the shuriken and tore it from the back of her palm. She dropped it and looked up, holding her bloody hand tightly. Sasuke had one more shuriken and took careful aim, Kyoko on the other hand looked around wildly, turned around and ran. Seeing this, Sasuke threw the shuriken and caught the redhead in the back. He made sure that it was a flesh wound, low enough it wouldn't puncture her lung and high enough not to hit any other vitals. When it struck her, she dropped to the ground without so much as a gasp. By how far it was sticking out the Uchiha could only assume he had struck a rib bone.

Walking forward, Sasuke watched as she scrambled to her hands and knees, crawling away from her opponent. Digging into his pouch, Sasuke pulled out a kunai, spinning it by the handle easily. Turning around, Kyoko pushed herself farther and farther away with wide eyes. Sasuke took the kunai by the handle and threw it at the redhead. Gasping in surprise, Kyoko caught it between her hands, looking down at her chest were it would have struck. Sasuke continued to walk towards her; he brought his hands together and started to make the hand signs of his personal favorite jutsu. Kyoko looked up, moving to grip the kunai like a lifeline. The crowd was thundering in Sasuke's ears, they loved it. A familiar chirping broke through the roar, a light emanating from his hand. Kyoko backed away, scooting her ass across the ground with fear written across her features.

"Chidori!" Picking up his pace, Sasuke ran at Kyoko, ready to kill her. He held his arm back and stopped right above her, ready to strike. Sasuke gave her a second and a half; more than enough time for her to figure out this was her last moment if she didn't say something.

When she didn't say anything he began to thrust his arm downwards and Kyoko found her voice again. Pulling her arms above her head she screamed. "I forfeit!" Sasuke stopped, his hand half a foot from Kyoko's head. "I forfeit!" She cried out again. Pulling back, Sasuke let his Chidori fade and the chirping disappearing. He barely heard Genma announce the defeat, declaring him the winner. Kyoko looked out from under her arms and lowered them cautiously.

Sasuke leaned down and held out his hand, from this close he could see her cheek slowly healing, the powers of Kyuubi at work. The redhead took his hand and he lifted her up. If Sasuke couldn't hear the crowd before he sure heard it then. Kyoko wiped her forehead of sweat with the back of her arm. With a heavy sigh, Sasuke motioned for Kyoko to turn around and she did. He gripped the shuriken lodged in her back and in one quick tug, pulled it out. Kyoko gasped and lurched forward, obviously in pain. Sasuke gripped her shoulder and held her up.

"Stand up, hide the pain." Sasuke muttered. "They're still watching." Wincing, Kyoko straightened and made a pained noise in the back of her throat. Genma motioned for them to move to the center again and they walked together, Sasuke's hand slipping from her shoulder.

Genma pointed to the doors as they opened and Kyoko looked, watching as all the genin who weren't taken to the hospital walked out. Sasuke sighed but didn't pay them any attention. He was almost there, they'd announce the people to become chuunin and he would be able to leave. The feeling that something was wrong was still in the pit of his stomach, weighing him down. As the genin lined up, he glanced over to where his friends were sitting, the seat next to Sakura was still empty and the feeling grew stronger.

* * *

After taking his time, Naruto finally reached the gate and opened it, pulling both doors open. He placed his hand on the seal and felt the tingling sensation of the barrier coming down. As he stepped back to close the gate, the blonde noticed movement across the street.

"Naruto." Shikamaru called out. He stood up and scratched the back of his head with one hand, using the other to motion the blonde over. He walked forward and Naruto did the same so that they would meet in the middle of the empty street.

"Shikamaru," Naruto smiled as his surprise faded. "What are you doing here?" When the genius got close enough, Naruto pulled him into a hug, chuckling when Shikamaru grunted.

"Here to get you." Shikamaru shrugged the blonde off of him. "Did you forget that today was the chuunin exams?" Naruto scoffed and shook his head.

"Of course not!" Naruto suddenly realized his mistake, glanced at Shikamaru nervously and tried to backtrack his statement. "Well, I mean, uh." He suddenly blushed and grew flustered, poking his two pointer fingers together. This was it, Shikamaru was going to find out and Sasuke was going to kill him. Naruto's mumbling turning into rambling as he tried to find a way out of the hole he had dug.

"Did you two get into a fight again?" Shikamaru interrupted him. He watched as Naruto grinned weakly and rolled his eyes at the blonde.

"Well, not exactly." Naruto drew out his last word and smiled nervously. Shikamaru sighed and looked up at the sky.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered. He had known Naruto wasn't going to come to the exam but he hadn't thought of Ino and Sakura asking him to go find the blonde. He had thought the two had gotten into a fight, a big enough one that Naruto was ignoring the Uchiha.

Now finding Naruto and seeing that he wasn't upset about anything, it made Shikamaru wonder, why were they acting as if they were hiding something? He had assumed they would open the compound out for their friends to move into, it seemed the most likely choice since the blonde was so sociable. It still didn't explain why Naruto hadn't come to see Sasuke in the exam. He didn't know the cause and he didn't feel like wasting any more of his time thinking about it. With a sigh, Shikamaru grabbed Naruto by the elbow and stopped him from continuing in his rambling.

"Come on, you already missed most of the fighting." Shikamaru tugged the blonde away from the compound, readying himself to transport them both back to the stadium.

"Eh? No, Shikamaru wait!" Naruto cried out but they were already in the middle of a whirl of leaves.

* * *

"What do you think, Kazekage-sama?" Tsunade asked. She watched as the group of genin came to stand in front of its audience. The stadium was alive with cheering and the Hokage found herself nearly shouting so she could be heard.

Gaara set both his elbows on his arm rests and folded his fingers, resting his chin on them. "I think many of them did well," The redhead glanced from the genin to the Hokage. "But I fear too few did well enough."

Tsunade sighed and nodded. "Would you like to share a bottle of sake after this is finished?" She asked. Her headache was nearly gone which meant it was time to get drunk again.

"It would be a delight." Gaara replied. Tsunade gave him a sideways glance. It was always weird to hear words such as 'delight' coming from the Kazekage's mouth.

* * *

"What are we doing?" Kyoko asked. She looked up at the crowd with teary eyes and then at the genin standing next to her. Sasuke looked away from where his friends sat and looked around the stadium, looking for the proctors.

"Waiting for the chuunin's to be announced." Sasuke stated. He looked up to the Kage box; Tsunade would be the one to call out the names because even Anko couldn't take over that job if the Hokage was hung over.

"How long is that going to take?" She breathed deeply, wiping the tears from her eyes. The implied question was aren't we on a schedule?' Sasuke nodded. Kyoko sighed and shifted, the wound on her back must have been giving her problems.

"However long it takes to decide." The Uchiha answered. Slipping his hands in his pockets, Sasuke looked away from the Kage's. "How's your back doing?" The redhead looked over at him and then attempted to reach at her back.

"Hurts like a motherfucker." Kyoko replied with irritation, much to Sasuke's surprise. She saw the quick, upward motion of his lip, a lopsided grin that disappeared as soon as it came. Angry, Kyoko frowned and looked away. She said nothing, knowing the Uchiha would have something smart to say in response. They stood there waiting for a few minutes, Sasuke's eyes wandering up to the Kage's box periodically. Finally, Sasuke watched as an anbu appeared next to the Hokage, handing her a scroll before disappearing again.

The crowd hushed itself as the woman stood up, her robes pooling around her. Everyone's eyes turned to Tsunade; she stepped forward and held up the scroll. "This year's new chuunin have been decided!" She cried out and the crowd applauded loudly in response.

"This is it." Kawakami murmured next to Kyoko. Sasuke didn't glance over at him but Kyoko did, the finality of the statement had the same effect on both of them though. Tensed, both waited for Tsunade to continue.

Tsunade opened the scroll and looked over the names, she rolled the scroll back up and addressed the crowd again. "Out of the fourteen participants, only one," she raised her eyebrows as she paused. "Has passed." The crowd went crazy again, the Hokage had to pause, waiting for the crowd to settle. All around him the genin were shifting; they didn't know that there was hardly a chance for their name to be called out. Tsunade waited until the stadium had fallen almost completely silent before continuing. "The accomplished genin who will after this day, become chuunin," Tsunade paused again as the crowd stirred and waited for the noise to settle down. "Is-

"Sasuke!" A voice cried out. The crowd grew silent, looking for who had interrupted the Hokage. Sasuke knew that voice, would recognize that voice anywhere but that voice and the person it belonged to wasn't supposed to be there. He looked around wildly, trying to find the blonde and saw him just as his name was called again. "Sasuke!" The Uchiha saw Shikamaru next to him on the stairs, Sakura and the rest of their friends watching in shock. Sasuke could see Shikamaru's mouth moving in the word he always used-troublesome.

Taking in his blonde's appearance, Sasuke could see the blonde's changing form with great clarity. His voice was the same as normal but his eyes were blood red, the marks on his cheeks deep and expanding. Even his nails were growing, having pointed ends. Sasuke felt the change in pressure before he saw red in the corner of his eye. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, sound dulled and muffled to his ears but he heard Kyoko give out an anguished cry. Turning around, Sasuke was met with the sight of Kyoko's body being engulfed in red chakra. She was trying to fight it off but the scared look in her eyes told Sasuke that she couldn't hold it back. Kyuubi's chakra was overflowing the seal, breaking it.

Acting quickly, Sasuke activated his Sharingan and looked directly into Kyoko's eyes just before they disappeared under the red chakra. It wasn't easy, grabbing a hold of Kyuubi and his chakra, pushing it back while putting the redhead to sleep but he managed. The world seemed to speed back up to a normal pace and multiple things were happening around him. The crowds had erupted into screams of terror. Kyoko returned to her normal state, eyes rolling into the back of her head and she collapsed. Sasuke caught her and looked around. All the genin were backing away, Naruto was coming towards them, preparing a Kage bunshin to distract as many people as he could. His features hadn't returned to normal. Sasuke pulled Kyoko onto his back and moved forward, Naruto and his clones catching up with him as he went.

"We have to get out of here!" Naruto told the Uchiha as the clones surrounded them, creating a barrier.

"I know, Dobe!" Sasuke readjusted Kyoko on his back and formed ten shadow clones of his own. "Create as many clones as you can." Naruto did as he was asked and had all the clones follow them as they jumped over the wall. They used the railing to move themselves higher and higher as people toppled over each other to get away from them. By now jonin, chuunin and anbu were reacting. Sasuke could hear several clones already being dispelled and the crowds were backing away from them as if they were the plague.

"We have to separate!" Sasuke looked over at the blonde to find Naruto was staring right back as they reached the top of the stadium. "Get to the compound as quickly as you can, I'll be right behind you. Close the gate as soon as I'm in." The blonde nodded. It was hard to tell what facial expression the blonde had, Kyuubi's features making it hard to tell anything apart from anger. Naruto darted away first, taking half of the clones with him, six of them Sasuke's. Sasuke followed closely after, moving as fast he could with an unconscious girl on his back. It was hard to see who was following him but the constant 'poof!' sound of clones disappearing told him that several people were following.

* * *

"Troublesome." Shikamaru scoffed as he followed behind his group of friends as they chased the jonin who chased the anbu who chased Naruto and Sasuke. Everyone had seen what had happened on the field. At that point, someone would have to be an idiot to not figure out what had happened. As soon as he had brought Naruto to the stadium, the redhead had flipped out, unleashing an enormous amount of chakra. Why a stadium full of people would be scared of a large flow of chakra was only because the chakra that she had unleashed belonged to a nine-tailed fox that was supposedly sealed away inside Naruto. To see someone who they did not know use that chakra would scare any unsuspecting villager.

For a second, it had even surprised Shikamaru. This was why Naruto hadn't gone to the chuunin exams, obviously when he got near her it triggered the effect, whatever that was and Kyuubi's power was released. Sasuke knew about it, Naruto knew about it and they had tried to keep it secret, no doubt planning to fix it like they had done with the Uchiha's cursed seal. Sasuke had then proceeded to knock her out with his infamous Sharingan, taken her body and the three had escaped with Naruto's three hundred clones to keep their followers busy.

"Move faster, Shikamaru, we have to catch up with them." Ino called back to him. In front of him was the entire group that had been sitting together to support Sasuke.

"There must be an explanation for everything, they aren't the type of people to do things just for the hell of it." Sakura called back. She quickened her pace and the rest of the group did the same.

"Well, Naruto has been known to do those kinds of things," Ino thought aloud. "But never something as serious as this, how could they hide someone who held Kyuubi's power?"

"I heard she came back from the toad mountain, that's why we've never seen her before. She even had a low profile during the month before the third exam." Kiba chimed in.

"That still doesn't explain why they didn't tell anyone about it." Ino frowned as they moved, it was easy to see that they were headed directly for the Uchiha compound and they knew that once the barrier was up, no one outside of it would be able to do anything.

"They're idiots, that's why!" Sakura called out behind her. "They think they can do anything they like without thinking about the damn consequences." The pink haired woman shouted angrily. She was worried about her teammates, it wasn't like them to have done this, the only exception was getting rid of Sasuke's cursed seal but that was only because Sasuke was on probation still, right? Sakura could only hope they had a good reason to do what they were doing, Tsunade was going to have their heads for doing this, regardless of why, it had happened in the middle of the chuunin exams, in front of the Kazekage.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru repeated aloud. This made Sakura move faster, the others following behind her.

* * *

Tsunade didn't know what to say to the Kazekage, everything had unfolded before her very eyes and yet she was lost for words. When she saw the redhead become engulfed by Kyuubi's chakra and then Sasuke control it and knock her out, she immediately barked out orders. Obviously something was wrong because that had been Kyuubi's chakra but that was not Naruto. She ordered the anbu to apprehend them and watched as Naruto jumped onto the field, eyes blood red and nails pointedly sharp.

Clones exploded onto the field and then suddenly were off, heading for the nearest part of the wall. The anbu were overwhelmed by the amount of clones and Tsunade could only watch hopelessly as the mass of clones jumped into the stadium seating, a clear path opening up as people hysterically moved to get out of the way. The anbu had followed after them, a few jonin joining in the chase. She saw the mass of clones reach the top of the stadium, split into two masses and then disappear on the other side of the stadium. A few jonin and chuunin tried to calm the masses down but from where she was standing, Sakura and a few of their friends moved to follow the anbu and jonin who chased Naruto and Sasuke.

Closing the scroll in her hands, Tsunade turned around and held it out to the Kazekage. Gaara took it calmly but his eyes were wide in shock, he hadn't been expecting it either. "If you would like to see the name of the one who had passed the exam, you can see there is nothing else that needs to be done here." Tsunade watched as the Kazekage opened the scroll and looked at the name.

"Hokage-sama," An anbu appeared before her and Gaara, kneeling with his head bowed. "The elders wish for you to continue the closing ceremonies, they do not wish for what happened to interrupt the festivities." Tsunade frowned and watched the anbu leave.

Turning back to the Kazekage, Tsunade forced a pleasant smile across her face. "Kazekage-sama, I would love to treat you to some nice hot sake but there seems to be pressing matters I must attend to first." Gaara closed the scroll and handed it back to the Hokage.

"I understand this seems to be a, delicate matter." Gaara quietly answered. Tsunade cringed inwardly at the redhead uttering the word 'delicate'; again it seemed weird for him to say it. Delicate was such as feminine word for a cold, hard ninja such as Gaara Sabaku. "Shall I come to your office when the seriousness of the situation has passed?" Her headache was coming back, not only did she have to deal with this situation but she also had to play politics with Gaara. She really needed a drink. Nodding to him, she turned back around and prepared to address the crowd.

* * *

Half of the clones were gone, Sasuke still had two blocks to go and Kyoko was slowing him down. Moving as quickly as possible, Sasuke sped up past the clones in front of him. They let him pass, ready to fight off the Anbu if it would give the Uchiha even a few extra seconds. The 'poof'-ing of clones was happening quicker as he got closer to the compound and it made him nervous. As he got to the last block before the compound, the rest of Naruto's clones came bounding towards him.

As soon as Sasuke met them, he passed right by them and hoped the distraction the two colliding groups of blonde clones. Pushing himself as fast as he could, Sasuke raced to the open gate that was now in sight. Naruto was waiting for him at the gate, waving his hand up as soon as he saw him. The sound of clones crying out as they disappeared from existence rang in the Uchiha's ears; he didn't have much time and was still a few hundred yards from the gate. Not even daring to glance back, Sasuke came closer and closer to the gate that separated him from safety and a hell of a problem.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried out when the Uchiha was half a dozen yards from the entrance. Turning around, Sasuke saw the kunai coming straight at him. Grabbing a kunai from his pouch with some difficulty, Sasuke deflected it, running backwards. The anbu who threw it was still far away but quickly catching up. As the anbu reached to draw more kunai, Sasuke flipped around, using the momentum to throw Kyoko's body toward the entrance and turned to face his masked opponent again. Deflecting a barrage of kunai, Sasuke continued to run backwards and glanced back to see Naruto reaching just outside of the gate to catch the girl's body.

He was almost there and after another barrage of kunai from the anbu who continuously got closer, Sasuke was inside the gate. Naruto had dragged Kyoko's body away from the entrance and Sasuke slapped his hand down on the tag that sealed the barrier with a tingling sensation. Half a second after Sasuke had sealed the gate, the anbu stopped right in front of him, on the other side of the barrier. Sasuke glared at the anbu for a moment before completely ignoring him, the anbu was just pissed he let Sasuke get away. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke, Shikamaru was outside when I opened the barrier. He transported me before I could make up an excuse." Naruto cried out. Sasuke turned to look at him, his harsh stare slipping into a frown.

"It's fine, Dobe, we got back and the barrier is up. That's all we really needed." Sasuke tried to comfort the blonde but Naruto sighed desolately. "It's not your fault, we didn't expect anyone to be waiting for you to open the barrier." Naruto's red eyes glanced over to the open gate and Sasuke turned his head to see what he was looking at. anbu had lined up at the gate, watching them but a pink haired woman was trying to push through, her lips forming both Naruto and Sasuke's names.

"What are we going to do?" Naruto asked. Sasuke turned back to the blonde, his Sharingan activated. The blonde was still watching Sakura try to get through the anbu but was pulled back by Kiba and Ino.

"We're going to fix Kyoko's seal and deal with everything else later. Naruto, I need you to look at me." Sasuke watched as Naruto turned and looked into the Uchiha's eyes, mouth opening in surprise. Before he could say anything, Sasuke had thrust Kyuubi's chakra back and let Naruto slip into unconsciousness.

Blue eyes rolled into the back of his head and Naruto crumpled downwards. Sasuke had to run forward to catch him. Setting him gently down on the ground, the Uchiha glanced back at the gate. The anbu was still standing in front of the barrier, staring at Sasuke. He had to think quickly, it wouldn't be long until his Sharingan's effect would wear off. Should he drag them to the nearest house? No, that would only cause suspicion; he needed to show them what he was doing.

Acting quickly, Sasuke ran to the house, he didn't know when Kyuubi's chakra would break out again. He was panting heavily when he there bounding to the entrance he opened the door, leaned down and snatched the tarp. Rushing back to the entrance, Sasuke could feel the power emanating from the two unconscious people on the ground. The peace wouldn't last much longer. Quickly opening the tarp up, Sasuke laid it out behind Naruto and Kyoko. Without looking up at the open gate, Sasuke walked around the tarp and picked Kyoko up. Carrying the redhead to one of the circles on the tarp, he noticed that all her wounds during their match was gone, her healing was just as quick as Naruto's now. Gently, he set her down and turned back to the blonde. Movement on the other side of the barrier caught his eye and he looked up. The anbu had backed off enough to let Tsunade through and she immediately pounded on the barrier with her fist.

Her mouth moved but Sasuke couldn't hear her. Looking away again, Sasuke moved over to the blonde and dragged Naruto by his armpits onto the tarp. Lifting up Naruto's shirt, he looked at the blondes' stomach. The seal was prominent and Sasuke moved over to Kyoko, lifting her shirt enough to see the deteriorating seal and nothing more. The scribbles at the edge had all but disappeared, more seeming to flake off as the seconds ticked by. Power radiated off of the two, the air felt thick and was getting harder to breathe in. Stepping back, Sasuke looked over the scene and tried to think of anything that he was missing.

He couldn't think of anything, he had Naruto, Kyoko, the tarp, the barrier was up and his own seal was still covered. Now he just needed to fix the girl's seal and that was by no means easy. Kneeling down at the edge of the tarp, facing the gate, Sasuke placed his hands on two smaller circles and let his chakra flow freely. Sasuke watched as his chakra flowed through the channels of the seal, it first ran to Naruto's circle. What the seal would do was take Sasuke's chakra and literally copy every bit of Naruto's seal and would transfer the copying to Kyoko's seal.

The only issue that Sasuke would probably have a problem with was if the main part of the seal, where Gamatora had given his life for, was already gone. Then there would be no way to fix the seal. At that point, there would be nothing he could do and all hell would break loose as Kyuubi killed Kyoko and rampaged around the compound until it found the base of the seal to break it.

As his chakra travelled up to the blonde's stomach, Sasuke could only hope that it hadn't gotten that far yet. Minutes ticked by, the pressure continued to grow stronger but Sasuke tried to not let it bother him. Chakra pooled over Naruto's stomach and slipped back into the seal and disappearing, it reappeared on Kyoko's seal, forming blue over the black scribbles. This was the most important part and Sasuke pushed more chakra into the seals. He could feel sweat forming on his forehead as he tried to keep his breathing even and steady.

Minutes passed, there was no rejection of his chakra, the pressure in the air was no longer growing but it hadn't dissipated either. Taking this as a good sign, Sasuke continued. The chakra covered the whole of Kyoko's stomach, rippling as piece by piece the seal was restructured. Slowly, it became easier to breathe and Sasuke watched as the seal regenerated faster and faster. It was working, almost everything had gone wrong today but the two most important things had been okay. He had made it out of the chuunin exams with the baby safe and the seal was working. Kyuubi would effectively be held back until they could decide what to do about it.

There was movement on the other side of the barrier, Sasuke looked up and saw Tsunade walking away, the anbu moving in to close the gap. He just got a glimpse of the people outside beyond the anbu and it made his blood run cold. Next to Sakura was Hinata, her pale eyes concentrated and blood vessels straining under her powdery white skin. She was watching him with her Byakugan, she could see the baby, could see Kyuubi's chakra, everything. Hinata knew and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He couldn't worry about that now, he had to make sure his blonde was safe. The anbu hid Hinata from view and he looked back down, concentrating on the seal, he would deal with it later, when he was able to deal with it.

Breathing became easy and the seal on Kyoko's stomach looked like a perfect copy of Naruto's. Sasuke watched for a minute more before his chakra slid from the red head's stomach, back into the seal. He could feel what was left coming back to him, sliding across his fingertips. Then it was over. Gingerly, Sasuke removed his hands from the seal. Nothing happened and he let out a sigh of relief. He had done it. Tiredness washed through him, he had been so hyped on adrenaline the past hour everything crashed down on him. His stomach started doing flips and his throat constricted, knowing what was coming.

Quickly standing up, Sasuke walked quickly to the nearest building but it was coming on to fast, he wasn't going to make it to a bathroom. Once he was behind the building and out of sight of the gate, Sasuke doubled over. He set his hand on the side of the building to keep himself from getting dizzy. He coughed and then puked out what little food was in his stomach, grimacing at the sour taste of it. Waiting for it to pass, Sasuke heaved again. He coughed again and spit out what was left in his mouth before wiping the crap off his lips.

When his stomach had settled, Sasuke slowly walked back to the tarp. His legs felt heavy, like they were full of lead. He sat down between the two unconscious people, facing his blonde. Feeling the stares of the anbu on him, Sasuke leaned over and gently set his hand on Naruto's shoulder. Bright blue eyes opened, staring at the sky, Naruto blinked and looked around. He caught sight of Sasuke and sat up; growing more aware the longer he was awake. Sasuke watched the blonde look at him.

"Did it work?" Naruto asked, he wasn't mad about Sasuke putting him to sleep; it had been for the best. The blonde watched as Sasuke nodded and then held his arms out, pulling the Uchiha into a hug. "Hey, Teme, whatever's wrong, we'll fix it together so don't worry, don't cry." Naruto spoke soothingly. "It's okay, Sasuke." Sasuke sighed raggedly and squeezed his eyes shut. He hadn't realized he was about to cry but could now feel the tears forming at the edges of his eyes. Raising his hand to wipe away the wetness, Sasuke burrowed his head into Naruto's chest.

* * *

"Move! Everyone move out of the way!" A jonin called out, he gently ushered a chuunin out of the Hokage's way. Tsunade let him, walking straight through the crowd to the gate of the Uchiha compound.

Anbu lined up in front of the gate, stopping any civilians or spies from watching to see what was going on. "Calm the crowd down, send them home." Tsunade called out to the jonin that had chased the trio. Immediately they went to work, ushering people away, assuring them that the Hokage would take care of it. Tsunade made it to the gate and the anbu let her through. She looked inside the compound and frowned. Sasuke was picking Naruto up by the armpits. Kyoko was already on some sort of brown cloth. She could see black markings on the cloth and recognized them as seals. Putting two and two together, Tsunade grew furious. How could they have hid something this important from her?

She raised her fist and pounded on the barrier as Sasuke looked up. "Sasuke!" She barked. The Uchiha just looked at her before looking back down. "Sasuke." Tsunade called out again but she knew he couldn't hear her. "You, get an aerial view of what's going on in there, you report to only me in my office. Go!" She pointed to a random anbu who bowed quickly before jumping to the nearest roof and out of her sight.

Turning back to the compound, she watched as the Uchiha pulled both of the unconscious' shirts up and moved backwards. It took him a split second before he kneeled down and put his hands on the tarp, no doubt activating the seal. Tsunade could only watch hopelessly watch as blue chakra emanated from the tarp, the sound of the crowd ringing in her ears. "I want them out of here!" Tsunade turned around and called out to the jonin who were swamped by people who had come to see what the commotion was about.

She saw bright pink hair and could feel her eye twitch. "Sakura!" Tsunade called out. Sakura, and the group around her looked over to their Hokage. "You all need to get these people out of here, this is official business."

"But Hokage-sama! They're my teammates, I need to help them." Sakura protested. Tsunade raised her hand and stopped her apprentice from trying to plead to her.

"They're doing just fine on their own Sakura, I need you to keep civilians out of here, that's your priority." Tsunade calmly spoke; she raised her eyebrow and gave a look that was all business. Sakura nodded, nudging her friends to start helping out. Shikamaru sighed but didn't complain about a direct order from the Hokage when she was right in front of him.

"Wait, Hinata. I need you over here." Tsunade motioned to the Hyuuga and watched as she came closer. "I need you to find out what's going on in there with your eyes, you will speak to no one but me in my office about what you see." Hinata nodded demurely before activating her eyes.

"I'll leave it to you, Hinata." Tsunade told the girl and she walked off, heading for her office where she would try to find a way to get rid of her headache that didn't include sake. Why did they have to it today? She thought back to when Naruto had interrupted her, Shikamaru had been standing next to the blonde. "Shikamaru! You're coming with me."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru moaned. He followed Tsunade down the street and it made the blonde woman feel better knowing she had ruined someone else's day.

* * *

Hinata bit her lower lip nervously as Tsunade walked away, calling out to Shikamaru to follow her. She had been surprised when Kyuubi's chakra had flared from the girl that had fought Sasuke. Still in a state of shock, she had followed Sakura and the rest of the group to the compound. Now Tsunade, the Hokage, had told her to find out was going on with her once was crush and his lover. It was a lot to take in. Taking a deep breath, she activated her Byakugan and looked into the compound. There was a lot of chakra all around the three, red radiating from both Naruto and Kyoko's bodies but it was diminishing rapidly. Blue chakra, Sasuke's Hinata assumed, was sealing it inside both seals.

Sasuke was fixing their seals, Hinata realized. It almost brought a smile to her lips; she looked over to Sasuke, seeing his hands alight in blue chakra. Then she saw something that wasn't normal, her eyes widened as she looked at Sasuke's stomach. There was an enormous amount of chakra situated at the Uchiha's stomach, a bubble of brighter blue than his normal color of chakra that connected to the rest of his system. Hinata had seen something like this back when she was learning about pregnancy, it was something that infertile women used to carry a child but that couldn't be inside Sasuke, there was no way. She looked closer inside the bubble of chakra and in shock of what she saw; she inhaled sharply, bringing her hand to her mouth.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" Sakura came up to her, resting her hand on the Hyuuga's shoulder. Jumping in surprise, Hinata turned to look at Sakura and started to stutter.

"N-n-nothing, u-um. I h-have to g-go report to H-Hokage-sama." Hinata deactivated her eyes and bowed her head, a blush spreading across her cheeks starting to burn bright red. The crowd had dispersed for the most part, curious bystanders still ignored the Jonin who politely tried to get them to move on and Kiba had to run over and annoy them enough to get them to leave. Hinata glanced around before jumping onto the nearest rooftop to get to the Hokage tower; she had to speak to the Hokage.

Her mind was reeling, trying to comprehend what she had seen. Had Tsunade known about this? Was that why she wanted the whole thing kept to as low as a public profile as possible? Or did she not know and the only thing she was concerned about was Kyuubi escaping?

She made it to the Hokage tower quickly and practically ran to the Hokage office, stopping in front of the closed door before knocking on it urgently. "Come in!" Tsunade called from inside. Opening the door, Hinata walked inside and quietly shut the door behind her. Shikamaru was already standing in front of the Hokage, looking irritated. The Hokage motioned for her to come forward and Hinata did, nervously looking from Tsunade to Shikamaru. Tsunade set her elbows on her desk and massaged her forehead, a glass of water on top of her paperwork.

"Alright Shikamaru, tell me what happened." Tsunade growled. Shikamaru sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"You had me on duty, Sakura caught my attention and asked me to get Naruto because he hadn't shown up yet." Shikamaru paused long enough for Tsunade to interrupt.

"When did this happen?" Tsunade asked.

"The last match of the second round. I went then, when I got to the compound the barrier was up so I waited for him. Eventually Naruto showed up and unlocked the barrier." Shikamaru shifted his position, which prompted Tsunade to ask another question.

"Did you ask why he wasn't at the exam?" The blonde lowered her hands and straightened in her chair.

"I asked if he had forgotten what today was, he said no. Asked if he and Sasuke had gotten into a fight and again he said no. Then I took him to the stadium via transportation. You know the rest." Shikamaru finished and sighed. He glanced over to Hinata and then to Tsunade. Hinata frowned, not sure if she should speak or wait for Tsunade to ask her too.

Tsunade reached for the glass of water as an anbu appeared next to Shikamaru, kneeling with his head bowed. "Report." Tsunade barked. The anbu rose and started to speak, voice muffled by his mask.

"It seems as though they created a seal maker of some sort. The Uchiha's chakra is copying Naruto Uzumaki's seal and quite literally pasting it onto Kyoko Suzuki's seal." The anbu watched as Tsunade chugged what water was left in her glass before slamming it down on her desk infuriatedly.

"She has a seal?" Tsunade yelled in surprise. The anbu nodded. Tsunade picked up a brush and blank piece of paper; she nodded to the anbu and held it out to him. "Draw it." The anbu came forward, taking the piece of paper and starting to quickly draw, using his other hand as a surface.

"Hinata." Tsunade turned to the Hyuuga and Hinata nearly jumped out at her skin in surprise. "I need you to tell me what you saw happening to Naruto and that redhead, Kyoko, in those seals." Hinata brought her hand to her chest in nervousness but she steeled herself.

"Sasuke's chakra was copying parts of Naruto's seal and moving it to the seal Kyoko was on, it looked l-like Sasuke was rebuilding her seal, improving it maybe." Hinata stuttered for a second when the anbu finished his drawing and handed it to the Hokage.

Tsunade took the paper but didn't look down at it until Hinata had finished. "That was all the seal was doing?" She glanced up from the paper to see Hinata nod. Sighing, Tsunade gave the paper back to the anbu who immediately set the paper on fire.

"So let me set this straight," Tsunade slouched in her chair. "Kyoko Suzuki, without a doubt, has the nine-tailed fox, or at least part of the fox, inside of her. Her seal, which seemed to be in bad shape, broke when Naruto appeared in the stadium.

"Sasuke must have found out during the earlier exams, he had ample time to talk to Kyoko and told Naruto afterwards." Shikamaru interrupted. Tsunade glanced at him pointedly but nodded before continuing.

"They all knew about this and prepared the tarp to fix it. Do we all agree on this?" Tsunade asked. All three of her underlings nodded. "Then you three will bear witness to the fact that I didn't have a damn clue about any of this!" Tsunade screamed. She stood up, slammed her fists on her desk and making Hinata jump in surprise. "Those fucking idiots." She whispered angrily and sat back down. "Who the hell is Kyoko Suzuki anyway? I never assigned her to a genin team." The anbu bowed before answering.

"Kyoko Suzuki came to the village two days before the chuunin exams from the toad mountain. She had been pronounced dead five years ago after the attack led by Orochimaru, she was given a genin ranking and a letter from the third Hokage, sealed." Tsunade listened to the anbu without a change in expression.

"What are your orders, Hokage-sama?" The anbu asked. Hinata glanced over at him, wondering how he could be so calm after the Hokage's outburst. Tsunade glanced over to the anbu, frowning sourly.

"We apprehend the three when the barrier is taken down, they each will be placed in an isolation cell until everything has settled. I'll deal with them myself." Tsunade spoke tightly. Hinata glanced over at the other two, watching the anbu nod and Shikamaru sighed.

"I think not!" A new female voice spoke up. Hinata turned around as the door to the office closed. In front of the door were two older people, a man and woman, both dressed in ceremonial robes.

"The elders." Shikamaru whispered. "Koharu Utatane and Mitokado Homura." Hinata felt her chest tighten and her stomach dropped, nothing ever went right for Naruto when the elders became involved. She and Shikamaru stepped to the side, allowing Tsunade to get a clear view of the two old crones.

"We have decided that it would be best to put the container and that girl _down._ " Koharu Utatane spoke with an authority that made Hinata's body go cold. She didn't have the authority to do that, right? Hinata looked back to the Hokage, her pale eyes wide in fear. Tsunade glanced at her and then turned her attention back to the elders. Standing up, Tsunade walked around her desk, her pissed off expression slipping away into one of smugness.

"Oh really?" Tsunade asked. She leaned against her desk and crossed her arms over her chest. Watching the two nod their heads, the Hokage scoffed and shook her head. "Shame neither of you are the Hokage to implement your plans." Tsunade watched in satisfaction as both of elders tensed.

"Since I am the Hokage," She raised and arm and pointed at herself with a smirk. "I believe that how this matter is dealt with is my decision to make at my own discretion." Tsunade smirked as the elders gave each other sidelong glances. "Now, the day must have been tiring for the both of you, an anbu will escort each of you back to your homes." Tsunade pointed to the ceiling and then down at the elders. Two anbu slipped from the tunnel above the ceiling down to the floor a polite distance from the elders. They both moved to open the doors to the office and held them open. The elders didn't move, as if waiting to see if the Hokage was kidding.

"You must be joking, do you seriously expect us to believe that you think you can handle this on your own?" Koharu Utatane put on a tense, faked smile but Mitokado Homura just grimaced, knowing his counterpart could not bluff Tsunade into doing what she wanted.

"Why else would I have been nominated Hokage?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I know exactly how to take care of the situation. Go home and rest." Tsunade motioned to the door, smiling as both elders had nothing else to say and quietly left the room. The anbu shut the door behind them and immediately Tsunade's expression soured again.

"We can't let them interfere." Tsunade moved to sit back in her chair and she pointed to the anbu. "Gather five other anbu who are completely loyal to me and will not be swayed by the elders. You will watch the three once they're in isolation and make sure nothing happens." The anbu nodded and disappeared and Tsunade directed her attention to the other two.

"Shikamaru, you'll be with me when I interrogate them once everything has calmed down, you will again report what you think only to me." Tsunade watched Shikamaru sigh heavily and roll his eyes.

"Troublesome." The genius muttered. He turned around and gave Tsunade a wave as he left. Tsunade just sighed heavily and turned to Hinata.

"Thank you for helping on such short notice, Hinata." Tsunade watched as Hinata bowed her head, blushing.

"N-no problem, Hokage-sama." She stuttered out. "U-um, I have a question though." Tsunade blinked and looked up in surprise.

"Yes, what is it?" Tsunade asked. Hinata looked up and took a deep breath.

"I was w-wondering if you knew t-that-" Hinata tried to ask her question, she had nearly gotten to the most important part but the sudden appearance of an anbu right next to her made her jump.

"Hokage-sama." The anbu interrupted. Gulping in nervousness, Hinata glanced from Tsunade to the anbu and back again.

"What is it?" Tsunade questioned with an eye roll. She glanced at Hinata and gave a halfhearted shrug.

"Naruto Uzumaki and Kyoko Suzuki have been awakened, Naruto is requesting your presence before they take down the barrier." The anbu spoke quickly. Immediately, Tsunade was standing up, her eyes narrowed in intensity.

"Hinata, this is going to have to wait, alright?" Tsunade asked. She watched the Hyuuga nod as she walked around the desk. "Let's go, those three are in some deep shit." Tsunade muttered under her breath as she passed Hinata. Said Hyuuga could only swallow thickly, hoping that she was worrying over nothing.


	13. Secrets Are For Everyone

**July 18th, still the tenth week**

They stayed like that for some time, Naruto holding Sasuke until he had calmed down. When he did feel calm enough, he nuzzled the blonde's chest with his cheek, sighing softly.

"Thank you." The Uchiha whispered. Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's head and ran his fingers through the inky black hair. For once Naruto didn't say anything at all, just waiting. "Hinata saw, she knows that I'm pregnant." Sasuke finally said. He pulled away from Naruto's embrace and sat up.

He looked Naruto in the eye and watched the change in his expression. From a curious understanding to sad realization, Naruto's bright blue eyes conveyed all of his thoughts. Relief that the thing that upset Sasuke hadn't been something more life threatening. There was sadness because their secret was going to come to out whether they wanted it to or not. Worry, that the elders would try to make Sasuke get rid of the baby and Tsunade wouldn't be able to stop them. Determination, he wasn't going to let anything happen to Sasuke.

As Naruto opened his mouth to say something, Sasuke leaned over, reaching his hand up to the blonde's hair and smashed their lips together hungrily. Naruto's lips moved against his, tongue sneaking licks whenever Sasuke moved his head to deepen the kiss.

"I know." Sasuke breathed when he broke the kiss. He opened his eyes and watched Naruto open his own. Leaning backwards, he watched as Naruto grinned devilishly. Instead of waiting for the blonde to say something stupid, he turned his head over to Kyoko, reached over and set his hand on the girls leg. Her eyes opened immediately, nostrils flaring as she inhaled deeply. Sitting up, she looked around, her shirt falling to cover her stomach. Bright green eyes darted wildly around until she saw Sasuke and Naruto sitting next to her. In a sudden panic she looked down to her stomach and pulled up her shirt to see the black tattoo like seal.

She scrutinized it, felt it with her fingers and then looked back up, smiling. "It worked, it worked!" She cried out happily. Climbing to her knees, she jumped on top of Sasuke hugging him tightly. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Half a second later she was being pulled off of the Uchiha by the cloth of her shirt and thrown backwards, Sasuke watched, knowing who exactly grabbed him from behind and pushed his back up against a warm chest. Naruto's chin rested on his shoulder as strong arms encircled his upper body. Kyoko fell onto her back and flipped into a roll, landing on one foot and knee, her hand on the ground to keep her balance. Her eyes flitted nervously, watching for any further attack. Sasuke almost laughed at her, if anbu still weren't watching them.

"You don't touch him, he's _mine._ " Naruto practically growled. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke grabbed the blonde's arm and watched as Kyoko stood up, looking away nervously.

"Sorry. I won't do it again." Kyoko nodded, glancing at the two before looking down at the ground. Sasuke raised an eyebrow but the blonde's grip loosened and he lifted his head up off of Sasuke's shoulder. As soon as he did that, Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto's arm and tossed the blonde over his shoulder, dropping him on his back on the ground with a loud thud. Climbing on top of Naruto, Sasuke discretely reached his hand down to the blonde's crotch and gripped it tightly.

"And just like before, this is mine. Now will you stop talking about me as if I'm your property, or do I have to kick your ass?" Sasuke smirked when Naruto grinned, lifting his hips into the Uchiha's grip.

"Uhm," Kyoko's voice penetrated their focus and they both looked over to her. "What are we supposed to about them?" She was looking at the gate and pointed to the anbu, watching them warily.

Sasuke got off of Naruto and stood up, letting the blonde get up on his own. They both looked at the anbu and then at each other. "Get the tarp?" Naruto asked.

"Tell them to get Tsunade for us." Sasuke answered. Naruto nodded and gave a lopsided smile before turned and walking over to the gate. Sasuke motioned for Kyoko to come over to the tarp and she did so, careful to keep a decent distance away from the Uchiha.

"You're being annoying." Sasuke simply told the redhead. She looked up, her eyes slightly wider than normal. "Don't worry about him," Sasuke leaned down and picked up a corner of the tarp. "He's possessive but he's also an idiot." He moved over to pick up another and watched Kyoko do the same. Kyoko gave him a look before pulling the edges of the tarp together; she continued to help, handing over the edges so she could grab the new corners of the ever-growing smaller tarp.

"Hey! I think one of them is going to get Tsunade-obaasan!" Naruto turned back to them, he watched as they folded the tarp. Sasuke took it and held it under one arm. Both walked over to the gate, Kyoko still keeping a fair distance from Sasuke. Naruto kept his gaze on the redhead, watching her move closely.

"Dobe, stop that." Sasuke hit him in the shoulder and Naruto frowned and looked away from Kyoko. Instead he stepped between the two, nudging Sasuke far away from the redhead. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Sasuke exclaimed. Pushing the blonde into the barrier, Sasuke gripped the blonde's black shirt and glared at him harshly. Naruto frowned back and glanced at Kyoko before wrapping his arm around Sasuke's side to push him away from the redhead.

"This is really starting to piss me off." Sasuke murmured angrily. "What is it going to take for you to just chill out?"

"I don't know!" Naruto barked out. "Every time she gets close to you, I just want to push her back and show her you're mine." Naruto stared at Sasuke, his face set in a sad, pained expression.

"I think I know why." Kyoko broke through their conversation. Both turned to look at her and she nervously let her hand twitch, Sasuke could tell she wanted to run her hand down her braid but held herself back. After a few seconds without a response, Kyoko looked at them and then back on the ground.

"We both have Kyuubi inside of us, maybe we smell like foxes to each other so I guess," Kyoko shifted on her feet, glancing up at the two before looking away embarrassed. "He sees me as a threat to his mate."

"How the hell would I see you as a threat?" Naruto asked. "You suck as a ninja." Kyoko fidgeted, she raised her hand and ran it down her braided hair, face turning bright red. Sasuke shook Naruto's shirt and looked up at the blonde as Naruto looked back down at him, shrugging his shoulders and refused to retract his statement. Growing irritated, the Uchiha tried to remember what he had learned about foxes when he had done a project on trapping animals and how to cook them when he was still in the academy.

"Dobe, go smell her." Sasuke commanded. Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise as Sasuke let go of his shirt and took a step back. "Foxes are territorial but not to foxes they recognize."

"Like sniff her ass? I don't know about that." Naruto shook his head, wrinkling his nose. Kyoko looked up in horror, her face growing redder as she looked from Naruto to Sasuke to the anbu standing on the other side of the barrier.

"No, not my ass!" The redhead cried out indignantly. "Somewhere else, where I sweat or something!" Naruto made a face and shook his head.

"I don't want to smell your sweaty armpits! That's gross!" Naruto turned away from the redhead only to be pinched in the side by Sasuke's lightning quick fingers. "Ow, ow, ow!" Naruto jerked away, swatting at the Uchiha's fingers.

"Why do you do that?" Naruto cried out. He softly glared at the Uchiha, protecting his sides with his hands.

"Smell her neck, she's been sweating since our fight." Sasuke nodded his head to the redhead, giving the blonde an expectant look. Hesitantly, Naruto stepped closer to the redhead but did not look comfortable doing it. When he was close enough, Kyoko looked away, still blushing.

Tilting her head to the side, Kyoko strained her neck out. Giving Naruto ample skin to smell, she waited impatiently for the blonde to smell her. Naruto leaned downwards, getting closer to the redhead. She stood extremely still and as soon as he was close enough to lick her skin, he sniffed experimentally. Kyoko smelled like sweat, dirt and fox all mixed up into a cocktail of scent. Unsure of what to make of it, Naruto sniffed again. It was familiar, he had smelled it on Sasuke before but that didn't bother him that much anymore. Oddly, he felt more at ease.

Straightening back up, Naruto turned back to Sasuke and pinched his nose. "She stinks." He whined. Kyoko lifted her head, mouth agape.

"I do not!" She cried out and pushed the blonde away, smiling hesitantly. Naruto laughed and walked out of the push, turning around to grin. Sasuke watched the interaction silently and stepped closely to the redhead. Kyoko's grin lessened but she didn't say as Sasuke stood beside her. Naruto watched easily, his smile still bright. Sasuke's arm touched her shoulder and Kyoko looked up at the Uchiha and then back at Naruto. The blonde just kept smiling, content to just watch his lover look back at him.

"Well, I guess we figured it out." Kyoko let out a sigh of relief and smiled. Sasuke noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced over at the gate. The anbu parted and Tsunade came forward again, looking extremely pissed off.

"Now we just have to figure out how to solve the bigger problem." Sasuke stared at Tsunade who glared back, hands on her hips and waited for them. Sasuke stepped forward and turned around, walking backwards to keep the anbu from reading his lips.

"Naruto, don't tell them anything except what I told you the day I came back from the exam, you," Sasuke turned his head to the redhead and she looked back at him stiffly. "Tell them everything except the baby, Hinata may not have said anything. We can't let them find out if we can help it." Sasuke backed up just until the barrier, Naruto dropped his smile and nodded, Kyoko gulped nervously. Turning around to face the Hokage, Sasuke nodded to her but a cold glare was all he received in return. Sighing, Sasuke raised his hand to the barrier and seal but stopped. He turned around and looked to the other two. "Don't fight this time, Dobe." Sasuke spoke before he set his hand on the seal.

"What-?" Kyoko started to ask but the barrier had opened and anbu surrounded all of them hands grabbing at their arms and pulling them behind their backs. "Hey! Don't touch me there!" Kyoko cried out. She tried to kick at the anbu but one of them caught her foot and held it up high.

"He told you not to fight!" Naruto called out as he was roughly manhandled, gloved hands patting him down thoroughly. Kyoko grunted as the anbu set her back down on the ground and continued to rid her of her weapons. Once their weapons were discarded, the few that weren't holding them moved back, allowing the Hokage to come forward. An anbu handed her the tarp and she held it under her arm. She glared at all of three of them, obviously pissed. Sasuke felt the anbu tighten their grip as Tsunade came close to him.

"Is this going to become a regular thing with you, Uchiha?" Tsunade asked quietly. She leaned forward and the anbu tightened their grip again in case he would lunge forward. They were squeezing so tightly he was starting to lose the feeling in his hands.

"I would hope not." Sasuke answered in a cold voice. "I did what I had to do to protect Naruto." Tsunade glared at Sasuke for a minute. Finally, she looked away and glanced at Naruto and Kyoko before turning her attention to an anbu close to her.

"Bind their arms and take them to solitary confinement, they'll wait there until we can start the interrogations." Tsunade watched as the anbu bowed his head and pulled chakra binds out of his pockets.

"No!" Naruto blurted out. Tsunade turned to the blonde but her expression didn't change.

"You don't get a choice brat." The Hokage looked away again but Naruto was adamant.

"You can't put us in isolation, you can't separate me from Sasuke! I-"

"The binds will not completely limit your chakra, just enough to keep you from putting up a real fight. They will be taken off once you are all securely in your cells and I have personally assigned the anbu to this task." Tsunade interrupted the blonde's outburst quietly. She glanced over to Sasuke who watched her unwaveringly. "There are no exceptions, do I make myself clear?" She turned back to Naruto as she asked this and watched the blonde open his mouth to argue.

"It's fine." Sasuke spoke before Naruto could get his complaint out. Naruto whipped his head to the Uchiha, looking worried. Sighing softly, Sasuke glanced over at the blonde and blinked. In reaction, Naruto's shoulder slumped, he made a pained face but didn't object further. Kyoko watched the whole transaction in bewilderment and continued to watch as the Hokage walked away, and as the anbu came forward and started to bind their hands.

"What was that all about?" The redhead asked softly. Her hair fell over her shoulders in exaggerated waves from having the spiked strap removed. The anbu lifted her hands high to bind them, then set a hand on her shoulder once they were secure. Sasuke watched as her eyes flickered briefly, the feeling of her chakra being locked must have felt like she was being drained. The anbu continued on to Sasuke, the other lifting up his arms to bind them. A shiver slipped across his nerves as his chakra was bound, it felt like he had been wearing a blanket of chakra and it was suddenly pulled off of him. Once he was bound the anbu moved past him and went on to Naruto who looked at the ground, disheartened.

"When we brought Sasuke back, he was put in isolation for a while." Naruto quietly told the story. "I had been worried about him so I went to go see if I could convince the guards to let me talk to him." The anbu finished with Naruto's binds and he shuddered before continuing. "The door was open and the guards weren't there, so I went in and," Naruto stopped, shakily inhaling a deep breath as he tried to adjust to the lack of chakra.

"They were ordered by the elders to impersonate anbu and kill me," Sasuke continued where Naruto had left off. The anbu gently pushed them into walking out of the compound and Sasuke stopped once he was outside, looking to the seal. His captor allowed him to walk over and rest his cheek against the seal, effectively resealing the compound with the barrier. He rejoined the other two in being led down the street. Civilians were watching from the edges. "I was beaten first. The elders wanted me dead but they wanted to 'have a little fun' before they finished."

"Long story short I got there in time and took care of the bastards." Naruto interrupted Sasuke. Sasuke watched as Kyoko turned her head to look at the blonde again. "And I don't want it to happen again." The blonde stared over at the Uchiha intently but Sasuke just stared back, calm.

"Oh," Kyoko looked away, fear seeping into her body posture and expression.

"They were corrupt, convinced with bribes." Sasuke told the girl, he turned his head to the anbu. "And not even actual anbu." The anbu holding Sasuke just continued to walk behind him, pushing him down the street to the prison they would be held in.

* * *

She walked back to the Hokage tower, a few anbu following her in plain sight. "Get the Kazekage for me, tell him to meet me in my office." Tsunade motioned to one of the anbu and watched as he disappeared. The last thing she wanted to do was play politics but there was no choice in the matter, Naruto and Sasuke had ruined the exam and she had to fix it. "Have Shikamaru and Shizune ready for interrogation when I'm done."

"Hokage-sama," An anbu next to her whispered. "You wanted to know if they did anything suspicious while you were gone." Tsunade rolled her eyes, of course she wanted to know.

"Report." She commanded, exasperated. If she said anything else it would end up in snapping at him. Turning to the anbu, her eyes met the black holes of a rather familiar cat mask but she was too frustrated to force herself to recognize it.

"Naruto Uzumaki acted as if he didn't trust Kyoko Suzuki, then he smelled her and relaxed around her. It looked to be that they have had no contact before this." The anbu spoke seriously but Tsunade clenched her fists in anger.

"Idiot. If they had been in contact before the whole incident in the stadium would never have happened!" Tsunade hissed angrily. "Leave right now, go help put those three in isolation or something!" The anbu stopped walking and bowed before disappearing. Sighing angrily, Tsunade glanced over the other anbu in the guard. "Do any of you have any other information you think you should give me?" None of them said a word and Tsunade was glad not all of the best ninja in the village liked to piss her off. "Good. You," Tsunade thrust the tarp in a random anbus hands and waved him off. "Go get this analyzed, I want to know every little thing it does when activated." Said anbu nodded with a 'yes, Hokage-sama.' and disappeared. Once in her office, Tsunade pulled out a battle of sake and two cups before sitting down and waited for Gaara. He came less than five minutes later, knocking on the door politely. "Come in." Tsunade called out as she stood from her seat, ready to greet the Kazekage.

"Tsunade." The redhead nodded his head as he entered, closing the door softly behind him.

"What a pleasure it is to see you again so soon Kazekage-sama." Tsunade forced a smile on her face and motioned to the bottle of sake and cups. Gaara came forward but shook his head a little, giving the blonde woman a cold stare.

"I see," Tsunade said as if Gaara had said something. "Still care for a cup of sake?" Gaara looked down at the sake before nodding. She opened the bottle and filled both cups, she handed one to Gaara who waited to drink until Tsunade had her own cup in hand.

"Classified?" Gaara asked quietly after he drank. Tsunade downed her cup and set it back down on the desk, nodding.

"Everything that we have so far is little fact, mostly speculation." Gaara's forehead moved, the muscles where his eyebrow would have been moving in what must have been a raise of the invisible eyebrow. "If you know anything about this, I believe Naruto would appreciate you telling me."

Tsunade poured herself a second drink, motioning to the redhead to see if he wanted another but Gaara ended up taking a second sip from his cup. "Tell me what you know already." Gaara answered. Tsunade was silent for a moment, debating inwardly momentarily.

"I must stress the importance of secrecy, this is between two people who care for Naruto and Sasuke, not Kage's." Tsunade drank from her cup but didn't toss it back like the ones before.

"I was never anything else." Gaara stated softly. He set down his cup and crossed his arms over his chest. Tsunade sighed heavily, pouring more sake into her cup before she had finished it.

"As far as we know, Kyoko Suzuki has a part of Kyuubi inside of her but her seal seemed to be faulty or was incomplete. As you saw, her seal broke and Kyuubi tried to escape, he would have too, if Sasuke hadn't known about it." Tsunade picked her cup back up and took a large gulp of it.

"He knew?" Gaara took another sip of his drink politely. Cold green eyes staring intently at the Hokage, Tsunade nodded.

"Damn right, 'scuse my language." Tsunade closed her eyes, the alcohol finding its way into her system. "We think he found out during the first two exams, but that's just an assumption. Apparently, when Naruto and Kyoko got close, at least the distance they were at when all hell broke loose, her seal started to break."

"Crushing under the weight of Kyuubi's chakra." Gaara set his cup down and crossed his arms, cold expression looking more stone-like than usual. Tsunade nodded.

"You saw Sasuke knock Kyoko out and they left the stadium. They headed for the Uchiha compound, there has been a barrier up there for years to stop thieves and spies from going in and learning what few secrets the compound might hold. Unfortunately, they made it and closed the barrier before we could catch them.

"After that, Sasuke knocked Naruto out and got a tarp, it had a seal on it. We can tentatively conclude that Sasuke created the seal to rebuild Kyoko's it looked to have worked, otherwise we wouldn't be standing here." Tsunade reached over to pour more sake into both of their cups.

"It worked?" Gaara reached for his cup and watched Tsunade nod.

"Yes, Kyuubi didn't break free again after Sasuke finished and woke them up. They talked for a while and took down the barrier, I had them taken to isolation." Tsunade downed her cup and watched as Gaara took a long sip from his. After a moment, Gaara looked up from his sake.

"I don't think I'll be much help. I've never heard of a demon's chakra being split into two people." Gaara watched as Tsunade frown and look away.

"Alright then, what would you have done if you had been in the same situation?" Tsunade looked back up, biting her lower lip in frustration. Gaara took a moment, thinking about it.

"I would have done it differently. I don't have someone like Sasuke to help me. I would have failed." Gaara answered. Tsunade sighed heavily and raised her hand to her forehead. "But they succeeded."

"And because of that people are going to be after all three of them." Tsunade sighed heavily. "There were many dignitaries and spies for other villages, they'll no doubt see this as a weakness and try to use it to their advantage."

"Let us hope that is not the case." Gaara watched Tsunade eye the sake. "If they do, Suna would be more than happy to assist in any way we can." Nodding Tsunade picked up the bottle of sake to pour herself another drink.

"Thank you Gaara but if I can keep it in my village I will. Naruto is your friend but that doesn't mean we should put both of our villages at risk." Tsunade pressed her cup to her lips and drank her sake slowly. Her head was starting to feel fuzzy.

"I'll be taking my leave now, the sun will set in a few hours." Gaara muttered before tipping his cup into his mouth and downing the rest of his sake. "Staying would be a hassle for you, right?" The redhead asked.

"I can't disagree with you there." Tsunade replied. "Safe travels." Gaara nodded to the older woman and left the room. Said woman moved to sit back in her chair, taking a moment to let the buzz of alcohol and the situation at hand to sink in. There was something still bothering her, the anbu who she had sent away, she had known he looked familiar. The mask was a cat mask with green and red markings, who's mask was it? Tsunade stilled as a name filtered into her mind, eyes widening before narrowing into a cold glare at the first thing in her line of sight, the door. The sneaky bastard had made a nuisance of himself on purpose.

* * *

Hinata had to talk to Tsunade. She had left the Hokage's office when the Hokage had but she hadn't left the building. Instead she waited for the Hokage to return and requested to see her but the anbu she had talked to told her that the Hokage was having a meeting with the Kazekage. Undeterred, Hinata waited for Gaara to leave in the hallway with an anbu watching her from down the hall. When the door to the Hokage's office opened and Gaara stepped out. She waited impatiently for him to walk down the hall towards her.

Hinata could see Shizune and Shikamaru entering the Hokage's office but she trusted them and this matter couldn't wait. The Kazekage nodded to her and she inhaled sharply before bowing to the redhead, she had almost forgotten her manners in her haste. When the Kazekage stepped past her, Hinata straightened and walked briskly down the hall to the Hokage's office, conviction in every step. She couldn't be shy now, she had to do this. Without even bothering to knock on the door, Hinata opened it and walked inside. Tsunade had been glaring at the door and when Hinata opened it the first thing she saw was Tsunade's glare turn into a look of complete surprise.

"Hinata, what?" Tsunade started. Both Shikamaru and Shizune turned around, Shizune's mouth agape in surprise.

"Hokage-sama, there's something I have to ask." Hinata interrupted the Hokage. Surprised, the older woman waited for the Hyuuga to talk. Said Hyuuga was shocked by her own brazen behavior and gaped at the Hokage, her body tensing as her shyness overtook her again. "I-it's um, it's a-about S-Sasuke."

"What do you have to ask about Sasuke?" Tsunade asked. Her shocked expression had not lasted long and she was staring at the young girl pointedly, wanting her to get on with it.

"I-uh did you know t-that he-he was p-pregnant?" Hinata raised her hands to poke her pointer fingers together, watching Tsunade's hands instead of her face. She couldn't believe she was asking this, she must have been blushing as red as a tomato because her face was heating up quickly in embarrassment. There was silence, only furthering Hinata's embarrassment. She dared to look up at Tsunade's expression and felt her embarrassment slip away into a cold dread. The feeling knotted in her stomach and sent shivers of cold up to her arms and legs, Tsunade was staring back her in a stupor, her mouth agape as she tried to take in the information.

"Can you repeat that for me?" Tsunade commented softly. Lowering her arms, Hinata inhaled deeply and spoke clearly, trying not to stutter.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered and sighed heavily.

"Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha is pregnant." Hinata saw the anger flare in almond colored eyes and she immediately knew, without a doubt, that the Hokage had not known.

* * *

The isolation cells were underground, the hallway was dark, dank and just overall not a welcoming place. It hadn't changed since Sasuke was last there. They opened the cell farthest from the entrance and ushered Sasuke to enter first. He stepped into the small, sparsely filled place and waited patiently as the anbu removed his cuffs.

Chakra surged and Sasuke let out a small sigh of relief. He turned away as the anbu backed out of the room and closed the stone door, it locked with a seal on the outside.

The cell had a white sheeted mattress over a raised structure of stone, a small electrical light that buzzed and that was it. Sasuke looked around, he knew he had never been in this cell but all the isolation cells looked the same. It brought back a mixture of memories. Silence brought the heavy weight of tiredness, he hadn't had much of a chance to rest after fixing Kyoko's seal and his body started to feel like it was being filled with led.

Sasuke knew he was protected, the only way in, and out for that matter was the cell door. He sat down on the raised mattress and rested his back against the wall, one foot dangling off of it as he set the other close to his chest. Closing his eyes, he slipped into a light sleep, allowing himself to fall a little deeper into REM because he knew he would hear the door open through it.

* * *

Naruto watched as the anbu came back out with the chakra binds in his hands and closed the door. Of course, he was a little pissed about not being able to be with Sasuke but that old hag wouldn't let him have a choice.

The anbu backtracked them to the next cell and opened it, motioning for Kyoko to enter. She did warily. A minute later, the anbu were closing the door and motioning for them to move to the next cell. The next cell was opened and with a wave of the anbu's hand, Naruto to walk inside. He started to but the anbu held a hand out as he turned his head, another anbu came round a corner and waved over to them.

"Hokage-sama put me on watch duty." The man's voice spoke with a light tone to it behind his anbu cat like mask and there was something about that voice Naruto knew he had heard before.

The anbu looked around to each other, as if talking in a silent code without the use of their hands. Finally the anbu who stood in the doorway of the cell motioned for Naruto to walk inside. Naruto did and tried to crane his head to watch the anbu take off his cuffs and when his hands were free he rubbed his wrists gently.

He watched as the slid to a close and then looked around. Other than the raised bed, which did not look comfortable in the slightest there didn't seem to be anything in the room. The light above him flickered and he looked up at it, it flickered again, a buzzing sound emitting from it loudly. What was he going to do? There was nothing in there to entertain him. He was going to die of boredom. With a heavy sigh, he collapsed on the raised bed and winced as his body jolted back. Looking under the mattress Naruto found that a stone frame held up the mattress, fantastic.

Returning to his previous position, Naruto slid his hands under his head and looked up at the flickering light. How was he going to find a way to keep himself occupied while he waited? Minutes seemed to disappear as hours and Naruto sighed more times than he could count in what could only have been twenty minutes. This was going to be harder than he thought and he already thought it was impossible. He couldn't sleep, too worried about Sasuke to close his eyes and drift off. Sighing again, Naruto turned his head to look at where the door to the isolation cell would be and wished he could be with his pregnant lover.

There came a sound from the wall he was looking at and Naruto didn't believe it at first. He frowned, then sat up, turning towards the wall as a rectangular crease formed a door. Almost disbelieving what he was seeing, Naruto stood up and watched as the stone door creaked open.

* * *

"He's WHAT!" Tsunade screamed. Hinata flinched and watched as the Hokage stood, hands on her desk.

"You can't be serious!" Shizune cried out. The Hyuuga's eyes darted to the dark haired woman and then back to the Hokage, mouth agape. Shikamaru looked between the three women, the imaginary gears in his mind going into overdrive, well, into motion. Hinata lowered her head, closing her mouth and trying to find the courage she had had in the hallway. She heard Tsunade move from behind her desk and the Hyuuga glanced up to see the blonde woman stalk up to her.

"Are you certain?" The Hokage hissed. Hinata knew she wasn't mad at her but the anger scared her all the same.

"Hinata takes her missions seriously, she's not one to joke or leave anything unfinished." Shikamaru spoke up. "It certainly clears up a few things that happened over the last few hours, so troublesome." The only male in the room sighed heavily and looked over to Hinata with an annoyed expression.

"What things?" Tsunade growled. She turned away from Hinata and glared at Shikamaru.

"Sasuke's semifinal opponent went straight for Sasuke's stomach with every strike and during the final match when what's her name, the redhead, never took a shot at Sasuke's midsection." Shikamaru muttered 'troublesome' under his breath before continuing. "The semifinalist probably knew nothing about what Sasuke had going on but the redhead knew exactly what was going on." Hinata looked over to Shikamaru gratefully as Tsunade returned to her desk. Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention to the Hokage. "What do you want to do now, Hokage-sama?" The lazy genius asked. Tsunade looked at the people in her office with a pissed off expression.

"Those two are in deeper shit than I thought." Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest. "The elders cannot and I mean _cannot_ , know about this." Hinata nodded along with Shizune, Shikamaru just shifted from one leg to another. "If they were in danger of being attacked, killed, or taken hostage before, it will be assured to happen if news of the pregnancy got out." Tsunade growled. "Sasuke will be confined to the village, the Uchiha compound would be better once this is over with.

"Suzuki is confined to the village as well, as for Naruto, he'll continue doing missions outside of the village but not without Hatake. This whole Kyuubi thing, as bad timing as it had, it provides a perfect cover for the pregnancy."

"I don't think they planned it." Hinata gently spoke up. "It, it-Sasuke must have met Kyoko Suzuki during the exam, it looked liked Sasuke was ten, maybe eleven weeks along already, he would have been seven or eight weeks pregnant when he went into the Chuunin ex-." Tsunade slammed her fist on the desk, making Hinata jump in surprise.

"He's how far along?" Tsunade growled. Hinata opened her mouth to repeat herself but Tsunade waved her hand at her, leaning back in her chair and swiveling it around to the window. She stayed like that for a few moments. "Those fools, doing it while Sasuke was still on probation."

Hinata watched the Hokage turn around to face them again, her frown still in place. "We should make sure all our assumptions are fact before we move any further." Shikamaru shifted again. Hinata would almost bet that he wanted to say 'troublesome'.

"I agree Hokage-sama." Shizune spoke up. "We need to take this situation one part at a time." Hinata watched Tsunade narrow her eyes and nod. Before Tsunade could say anything else a jonin burst through the door, panting heavily.

"Hokage-sama! The isolation cells, they, they've!" The jonin gasped for breath as the four in the office looked at him expectantly, he bowed over himself, hands resting against his knees. Growing tired of waiting; Tsunade stood up and leaned over her desk. Shikamaru and Hinata glanced back at her, Shizune was still patiently waiting for the jonin to spit out whatever it was he had to say.

"What is it now? Well? Spit it out you incompetent fool!" The Hokage barked. The jonin straightened and wiped away the sweat from his brow, taking a deep breath.

"The isolation cells, they've been attacked."

* * *

_His hands were bound behind his back. The isolation cell was small and darkly lit but Sasuke had no need for anything else. He sat on the bed, feet on the ground with his hands behind his back, staring at his knees. Even in this cell he was still forced to wear the chakra dampening handcuffs._

_The stone door opened, Sasuke looked up and watched four anbu guard walk in. No one followed after them, it was just them. They formed a half circle around him, their body posture cocky and Sasuke could tell something was going to happen. None of them spoke, one of them just came right up to him and gripped the front of his shirt. He was pulled to his feet, the anbu stood back and raised his fist. There was nothing Sasuke could do but watch as the fist moved in almost slow motion and then connected with his face._

_He felt his lip split as his head jerked to the side by the force. Looking up at his attacker, Sasuke felt someone push his shoulder and he moved with it but reverted right back to his standing position. Another punch and he watched it come at him. It was hard enough that he stumbled into an anbu who immediately pushed him away. He ran into another anbu who gripped his shoulder and made him stand straight so he could see the fist that the anbu raised._

" _Uchiha scum." The anbu muttered through his mask. His fist connected with Sasuke's untouched cheek and he released him, watched as Sasuke stumbled away from him. The next anbu got him in the stomach, he bent over in pain as the anbu pushed him backwards and off his feet._

" _Filthy traitor." Another called out. Sasuke fell back onto the bed, landing onto his hands in an awkward position. Sasuke knew what was happening, he had expected it. Now that it was actually happening, the Uchiha was sad. Seeing Naruto again, looking into those bright blue eyes, it brought back feelings he thought he couldn't feel anymore. His feelings only intensified when he realized he would never look into those cerulean orbs again. He was going to miss the blonde. What a way for the last surviving Uchiha to go out, killed by anbu of his own village. They came closer, black-gloved hands reaching closer and Sasuke could only watch._

_Instead of pulling him back up into a standing position, they gripped his dirty prison garb and tore it, a kunai appearing in several hands. Again, this was no surprise, they were going to torture him before killing him, mutilating him in the most painful way possible while he was still conscious. Something was off though, he couldn't place it. Sasuke let them do as they pleased, he was powerless to stop them. Hands pulled at him arms, flipping him onto his back and completely on the bed. Why they didn't pull him to the floor he didn't know, didn't really care why._

" _You're going to regret ever surviving the massacre of your family." One of them chuckled darkly. Sasuke knew it was a ploy to get him to react, did his best to not let it bother him but he felt himself glancing over to the anbu who had said it._

_He was naked now, underwear was not part of a prisoners clothing. Hands grabbed his legs spread them apart. This triggered Sasuke's mind to start spinning gears, they weren't going to just mutilate, they were going to humiliate as well. A hand was on the back of his head, pressing down at an angle so that he was forced to turn his head to look at the anbu. One of them leaned down to look Sasuke in the face, his dark eyes shining through his mask with pleasure in the prospect of pain._

" _Do you know what's going to happen, Sasuke Uchiha?" The anbu pronounced his name slowly. He could hear the smirk in his voice and couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the question. Without waiting for a response, the anbu pulled a kunai out of his pouch and held it in front of Sasuke's face. Flipping the kunai in his hand, the anbu showed Sasuke the pommel of it._

" _This is going to be inside of you," The anbu waved the kunai pommel back and forth, looking for any sort of reaction that Sasuke would let show. He wouldn't let the dark, all consuming fury slip onto his features. "And that's just the beginning of it." The anbu chuckled and stood up, leaving Sasuke's line of sight and the hand on his head disappeared. Something irked his mind still, something was out of place with these anbu._

" _Yeah, you're going to take my cock in your mouth," Another anbu stepped up to his face, cock sticking out of his pants and in his hand. "I'm gonna fuck your mouth good." He flopped the little thing up and down, hoping for Sasuke to react and the Uchiha did, unable to hold it in._

" _Is that what it is? I thought you just had an extra pinky finger." Sasuke watched in satisfaction as the man dropped his cock and grabbed Sasuke's neck with both hands, squeezing it painfully tight. He couldn't breath but he didn't let it show, just kept a straight face as he stared at the thing that barely dangled. "So it is attached to the balls." Sasuke croaked out._

_The anbu pulled one hand off of Sasuke's throat and punched the Uchiha hard in the side. It was still hard for him to breathe with one hand squeezing his air pipe and the punch made him curl away from it, choking. Satisfied, the anbu released his neck and Sasuke inhaled deeply before coughing, there was already pain forming in his side. Watching the anbu move away, Sasuke tried to free his hands but his attempts were fruitless and he gave up. He had spent hours thinking of ways to get out of the chakra binds but without chakra and any tools in the cell, it was either be freed or killed._

_Fingers parted his ass cheeks and he tensed, the anbu laughed and the grip on his legs tightened. His fate had been decided, he was going to lose his virginity to corrupt anbu bastards and their sick ideas before they killed him. Orochimaru had liked his new bodies pure and untainted. He didn't want a body that had been dominated, even by the body he was currently in. Sasuke didn't know how thankful he should have been until he walked in on the snake bastard raping one of his own experiments and now when he was about to lose the last of his innocence that he had managed to retain._

" _Look at it, pretty pink thing for an Uchiha whore." One anbu laughed. Something touched his asshole and he tensed again, attempting to struggle against them._

" _You'd almost think this bastard was a virgin." Another spoke with interest._

" _Even if he was, he's not going to be for long." Sasuke heard an anbu chuckle and something cold pressed against the muscles of his asshole. Something moved in the corner of his eye and Sasuke looked up._

_In the doorway was an orange figure, Naruto. His bright blue eyes wide in shock, hands limp at his sides. Naruto was going to see all of it and that was too much. He looked away, burying his head into the poor excuse of a mattress. Sasuke would have given anything for Naruto not to see it. The pommel was pressed harder against his asshole and he jerked. He was going to be humiliated in front of his rival, his friend. He couldn't let this happen but there was nothing he could do, the shock was numbing his mind and senses. There was a low sound, a growl._

" _Well look what we have here." An anbu called out. The pressure of the pommel against his muscles lessened. A chill ran up Sasuke's back the familiar sound of flesh tearing, blood spurting from separated veins broke through his clouding mind. There was a cry of indignation, another sound of flesh being split apart. Sasuke could hear weapons being unsheathed, followed by choked screams and multiple sounds of flesh being torn apart._

_He couldn't look, he didn't want to see Naruto being brutally attacked and injured. It was too much after he killed Itachi. Too much. The sounds continued for what felt like eternity and when they stopped Sasuke still didn't want to look. Naruto had been the one to carry him back to Konoha, to curl up behind him during the cold nights to make sure he was warm. He had given him water when his throat was dry and bread when his stomach growled. The blonde was the only one that seemed to care what happened to him and for Naruto to be attacked because he wanted to check on him…he didn't know if he could handle it. Naruto was supposed to become Hokage one day, not dead in a traitors cell._

_A slick hand grasped his ankle and he tried to jerk away from it but it was an iron grip. It pulled him down to the edge of the bed and another wet hand caught onto his waist. He was pulled down until his hips were at the edge and legs were pushed to the ground. His ass was forced upwards as his limp sex was pushed uncomfortably into the edge of the mattress. Wet hands pulled his ass cheeks apart and Sasuke squeezed his eyes together even tighter, he couldn't bear to be humiliated like this in front of Naruto. Instead of cold metal there was a puff of hot air and then nothing. The hands released his ass and gripped his elbow painfully tight as he was pulled around and upwards into a standing position._

_Opening his eyes to see his attacker, Sasuke was shocked. Bright blonde hair was covered in blood, orange clothing smeared in the dark red substance. Red was slowly leaving Naruto's blues eyes but the blood on his face was gleaming in the poor lighting. A wet hand cupped his cheek, another slipping into his hair as he was forced into a demanding kiss. Sasuke was being pushed. His body turning sideways until his back ran into a wall, teeth gnawing against his lips, forcing Sasuke's mouth open. Something slimy, still warm was all over the blonde's clothes and it rubbed against Sasuke's naked form as Naruto pressed them closer together._

_He tasted something metallic,_ blood _, his mind provided. Naruto pulled back and set his hands on Sasuke's shoulders, deep blue eyes looking him over carefully. Sasuke inhaled raggedly and did the same with the blonde's features._ " _I love you." Naruto spoke suddenly. Sasuke's mouth dropped open, he hadn't been expecting that. Unable to comprehend it for a second, he looked around the room only to find it littered with severed body parts, blood spattered across every wall. Anbu masks were strewn across the floor and several kunai still in the grip of their hands, few which were still attached to their bodies. He breathed through his nose and nearly choked on the acrid stench of seared flesh._

" _They were going to hurt you, I got angry." Naruto explained. "They're alive still, just severely and permanently wounded." Sasuke looked back to him, closing his mouth and blinking a few times. This wasn't the first time Sasuke had seen violent carnage but he had never seen Naruto use Kyuubi's powers to create the mess before. "Teme, say something." The blonde squeezed the Uchiha's shoulders, looking nervous. Sasuke felt his brain reach for some kind of information that would help him figure out the situation and before he could really think about what he was saying, he spoke._

" _Give me your pants." Sasuke muttered quietly. Naruto blinked and looked down. Sasuke realized that the blonde was starting to ogle him and he jerked his foot outwards to kick him in the shin._

" _Ah! Hey, Teme! Don't kick me," Naruto jumped away from the Uchiha. "I'll give you my pants, okay?" Naruto pulled down his pants and stepped out of them, leaving the blonde in his boxers. He held them out to Sasuke and looked at the blood stained wall to the side._

_Sasuke looked at the pants and then back up at Naruto. "Usuratonkachi." This got Naruto to look back over, looking slightly annoyed. "I can't put them on myself." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the pants Naruto held out._

_Naruto blinked as the annoyance slipped away from his expression. He turned back to Sasuke and opened the pants up for Sasuke to step into. The blonde's declaration still bounced around inside his head, a warm feeling trickling into his stomach. Carefully stepping into the pant leg, Sasuke watched as Naruto helped him and once he was standing in them Naruto pulled the pants up and situated them at Sasuke's waist. Sasuke watched as Naruto focused on the pants and when he looked up, fingers sliding from the Uchiha's pale hips, Sasuke leaned forward and pressed his lips against the blonde's._

_His mouth was flooded with a metallic taste again but it was okay, the tongue that came with it mapped its way over Sasuke's teeth and pressed against his tongue demandingly. Naruto wrapped his arms around him tightly and maneuvered them back to the raised mattress. Sasuke felt it against the back of his legs and fell backwards, Naruto still attached to him. Hands were on his cheeks again, in his hair, Naruto was moving almost spastically in his need for more contact. Breaking away from the kiss, Naruto raised his head, sticky hands in the Uchiha's dark locks and bodies pressed close together. Sasuke looked up into bright blue eyes that were half open in a lusty gaze and felt himself shiver. He was completely at Naruto's mercy and a feeling in his stomach started to spread._

" _Say it. Tell me." Naruto whispered huskily. Sasuke watched the other male and licked his lips, tasting blood on them. Opening his mouth, he didn't think he could find the words he was looking for._

" _I-"_

Sasuke's mind lurched from the memory dream as the sound of his isolation cells stone door slowly starting opening. It scratched loudly against the stone floor and without hesitation Sasuke opened his eyes and got off the bed. When the door pulled away enough for Sasuke to see who was standing on the other side, the Uchiha raised an eyebrow.

"Hn, what a surprise." Sasuke muttered.

* * *

"Must stay calm, I must stay calm." Kyoko chanted to herself. She paced around her isolation cell the moment the door shut. She had tried to open it without success. "I can't freak out, it's just a room, just a small enclosed space, no big deal."

The redhead inhaled sharply, her pace quickening until she turned around and ran for where she remembered the door being. Her hands and eyes ran over the stonewall, the longer she looked the quicker her breathing was getting.

"Why couldn't they have let me be isolated in a forest?" She muttered under her breath. Kyoko fell to her knees to feel the crease between the wall and the floor, nothing, just as it had been the last time she checked five minutes prior.

Finding her sanity again, Kyoko inhaled deeply and backed away from the wall to continue to pace around the room. "I can do this, I must stay calm, must stay calm." She had found her breathing back to normal as she paced when a booming sound broke through her quiet murmurings. The ground shook and she fell over in surprise.

The redhead sat where she was in shock for several moments, wondering if more of whatever had happened was going to come but when it didn't, she stood again and looked around wildly. She ran to the wall where she assumed the door was and started banging against it wildly.

"Let me out of here!" She screamed. "I can't take it anymore! Let me out!" When no one came to the door, she tried to control her breathing, if she freaked out like that then she had no doubt that she would soil herself. Now was a terrible time to find out she had claustrophobia.

* * *

"That's why I'm the number one most surprising ninja of Konoha, Teme." Naruto grinned and jumped on the mattress. An anbu mask popped into Sasuke's line of view and he eyed it carefully. "Thanks, Yamato." Naruto called out.

The anbu moved his hand to his mask and lifted it upwards, allowing Sasuke to see Yamato's strange grin before he placed it back down over his face. Sasuke nodded to the supposedly off-anbu-duty anbu who nodded in return. Without a word, Yamato stepped back out into the hallway and the stone door slowly closed, the creases of the doorway disappeared and they were locked in. Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, a twitch in his cold expression giving away his relief. Naruto smiled from the bed and motioned for the Uchiha to come closer.

"Do you remember the last time we were in a cell like this?" Naruto asked. Sasuke folded his arms but stepped closer to the raised mattress. Feeling that Sasuke was being too slow, the blonde sat up, grabbed the waistband of Sasuke's pants and pulled him closer.

"When you told me you loved me?" Sasuke asked. He turned around and sat down next to Naruto, arms still crossed. The blonde wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulders and smiled. "What about it?"

"Hey, Teme, you pronounced your undying love for me that day too." Naruto nuzzled his cheek against Sasuke's hair, inhaling the scent happily.

"You're exaggerating," Sasuke leaned closer to the blonde. His eyes slipped shut as he enjoyed the warmth Naruto radiated; it felt good to be in his lover's arms again. That morning seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Only a little." Naruto whispered.

"Hn." Sasuke replied. He smiled and opened his eyes, looking up at the blonde. Naruto leaned down and kissed Sasuke on the forehead gently. He pulled away long enough to change the position of his head before leaning back down and kissed the Uchiha's cheek. Sasuke's smile grew wider and he raised his hand to the blonde's chin, holding the blonde still as he shifted forward and placed his lips on Naruto's. Their kiss deepened quickly, Sasuke's tongue running over the blonde's lips. Feeling a hand on his cheek, Sasuke closed his eyes and sucked on Naruto's lower lip. Naruto finally joined in on the kiss, attempting to push his tongue into Sasuke's mouth but Sasuke fought back.

They both battled for dominance and Sasuke quickly found his neck starting to hurt from the position. To fix it and to get an advantage over the blonde, Sasuke swung one of his legs over Naruto's legs and sat on the blonde's lap all while their lips were still attached. Naruto's arms were around his waist and Sasuke ran his hands through blonde hair as their tongues continued to rub against each other. Sasuke wouldn't give up though, he ground his hips down on Naruto's crotch and heard Naruto moan. The blonde's tongue retreated and Sasuke claimed his victory by delving his agile muscle into his lover's mouth.

Naruto breathed heavily through his nose as he felt Sasuke's tongue run over his teeth and hips ground into his growing erection. The Uchiha's tongue rubbed up against Naruto's, trying to get the blonde to react for another round. Sasuke could feel Naruto's hands running up to his clothed chest, rubbing against the Uchiha's nipples and he shivered in pleasure right before the blonde pushed him away. Opening his eyes, Sasuke gasped for breath and watched the blonde.

"I want to do it." The Uchiha whispered. Naruto looked up at him with a blank expression, chest heaving. "Do I need to spell it out for you, Usuratonkachi?" The blonde finally grinned and shook his head.

"Feeling feisty, Teme? I think its spelled S-E-X." The blonde grinned and Sasuke smirked. "I was hoping you'd want to though," Naruto dropped his hand to his pocket and pulled out a small green tube. "Yamato gave it to me when he got me out of my cell, it's lube. It's got a little bit of an aphrodisiac in it to make it more pleasurable." Naruto grinned and raised his eyebrows cheekily.

"Your friend knows you too well." Sasuke answered. He reattached his lips to Naruto's and slipped his hands down from the blonde's hair to his chest. Feeling Naruto's hands return to his waist and back.

Their kiss was heated, neither of them backing down. Sasuke ground his hips down on Naruto while the blonde squeezed and massaged the Uchiha's ass with his hands. Reaching for the edges of the blonde's shirt, Sasuke lifted it up and forced Naruto to pull his hands away from his lover's ass. Sasuke broke the kiss first, long enough to pull the shirt over Naruto's head and smashed his lips back together before the blonde could say anything. Tan hands found their way back to Sasuke's ass after throwing the shirt off the bed and continued to grope. Thrusting his hips down harder, Sasuke trailed his fingers over Naruto's nipples and tweaked them before rubbing the pad of his thumb over them.

Naruto moaned into the kiss and gripped Sasuke's butt tighter before raising one of his hands to Sasuke's head. Gently maneuvering the male above him to the bed, Naruto made sure the Uchiha's head was still on the mattress before sliding his hand down his lovers' chest. Sasuke grinned into the kiss when Naruto's hand toyed with the edge of his shirt, then slipped underneath it to rub his abdomen gently. Raising his hips, Sasuke moved one of his own hands to Naruto's hair and pressed their mouths together roughly.

Ghosting his fingers up to Sasuke's chest, Naruto pressed his other hand against the bulge situated at the Uchiha's crotch. Sasuke moaned, relenting enough for Naruto's talented tongue to slip inside his mouth. Grinding his hips upwards with a gasp, he conveyed the need and pleasure that was consuming him.

'BOOM!' The room shook, the mattress beneath them gyrating. Naruto felt their teeth clash together and broke the kiss, looking around as the shaking stopped. Sasuke looked around their cell and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, pushing his lover off of him.

"Get your shirt back on." Sasuke muttered. He pulled his own shirt back down and swung his legs to the floor as Naruto collapsed onto the bed, face down and groaning loudly in frustration.

"Aw, come on! Can't they see I'm trying to get laid here?" Naruto's voice was muffled through the mattress. Sasuke leaned down, picked up the blonde's shirt and tossed it to Naruto, smirking.

"Hn, Dobe." Sasuke watched Naruto look up from the mattress with an annoyed expression before grabbing his shirt and sitting straight up.

"Teme, how can you be so calm? You want to do it as much as I do." Naruto asked. He pulled his shirt on and set himself against the wall, looking at Sasuke from behind. Turning around, Sasuke leaned over to the blonde and pressed his lips against the blonde's softly.

"Wrong, I want to do it more." Sasuke whispered. Naruto smiled and moved forward to kiss Sasuke again, attempting to deepen the kiss. Sasuke felt the tongue on his lip and pulled away, much to Naruto's dismay. "They'll be coming to check in on us soon." Naruto made a whining noise in the back of his throat but didn't fight the Uchiha on the matter. Instead he pulled Sasuke by the waist towards him and made sure the Uchiha's head rested on his shoulder.


	14. Troublesome

**July 18th, still the tenth week**

Tsunade was moving before the jonin could inhale again. "Shizune, Shikamaru, come with me to the isolation cells. Hinata, get Sakura and have her here in my office when I get back. Don't tell her anything about this and tell her to bring her emergency kit." Hinata nodded as she passed her, Shikamaru and Shizune following behind their Hokage. "I want to be the one to explain everything to her. She'll be the only person to examine Sasuke over the next few months."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Hinata called out as Tsunade stalked out of the office. Tsunade didn't think things could get any worse but they had.

"Hokage-sama! Preliminary reports suggest it was ninja from the village hidden in the mist." The jonin called out, chasing after the three. Shizune looked back at the male and motioned for him to follow them.

"What else?" Tsunade called out.

"The anbu I talked to said that it the attackers blew open a cell randomly from the hallway behind. No one was hurt and anbu are following them as we speak." The jonin stopped to breathe. "The seals they used were prepared ahead of time but it was a rush job by the look of it."

"Whose cell did they break into?" Tsunade barked out. The group was led by the Hokage to the stairwell and started a very long descent.

"It appears they broke into Naruto Uzumaki's cell, he wasn't in the cell when the anbu checked the damage." The jonin nearly stumbled down the stairs as Tsunade hastened her pace to a near run down each flight of stairs. Both Shizune and Shikamaru managed to keep up, a feat Tsunade thought Shikamaru would moan and groan over but he was silent and quick on his feet. It took more than five minutes of running down stairs to reach the bottom and when they finally found an end to the staircases an anbu was waiting for them. The anbu bowed and moved out of the Hokage's way as she brushed right past him.

"Where is Naruto?" Tsunade asked. They walked down a stone corridor, making a right turn the first chance they got.

"Safe, in Sasuke's cell." The anbu answered. "I had no idea that someone was planning to attempt a kidnapping, Hokage-sama." Tsunade glared at the anbu as they took a left down another stone corridor, doors evenly placed along the walls.

"You're lucky they found an empty cell instead of someone in it." Tsunade growled. "I should have your head for impersonating an anbu while off duty, Yamato." The anbu bowed his head and then raised his hand to his mask to remove it.

"Yamato-san!" Shizune cried out in surprise when Yamato revealed his face.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama." Yamato looked over to Shizune and Shikamaru, nodding to them as they came to the end of the corridor. An anbu was standing outside the third to last door, watching the group come closer.

"Hokage-sama, Naruto Uzumaki has not been recovered yet. The perpetrators have escaped from the east gate with the crowds." Said anbu bowed when the Hokage stopped face to face with him.

"He hasn't been recovered because he was never lost." Tsunade turned her head to look into the opened cell, looking at the far wall that had been destroyed. "Tell them to stop searching for Naruto and just go after the bastards that snuck their way into my tower!" The anbu bowed and left them. Rubble lay across the cell's floor and she could see the floor of the hallway through the giant hole that had been left. Tsunade turned to Yamato and motioned to the other two doors.

"Open Sasuke's cell first, I want to make sure they're both there." The Hokage ordered. Yamato nodded and turned to walk to the very last door, making the hand signs to open the door. It opened slowly, much to slowly for the older blonde woman and she tapped her foot in irritation.

"Don't go too hard on them, Hokage-sama, I was the one who moved him and it was of my own will." Yamato looked over to Tsunade, attempting to plead but his expression hardly changed.

"Just open this damned door already." As soon as the door was open wide enough she stepped in. Yamato, Shizune and Shikamaru moved to barricade the doorway, listening to their Hokage start to berate those who where inside.

"She isn't going to go easy on them, is she?" Yamato asked quietly. Shizune shook her head and Shikamaru ventured further into the room.

"Troublesome." He muttered.

"You stupid idiots!" Tsunade barged into the isolation cell, immediately saw the two sitting on the bed and stopped in front of them, glaring. "What the hell were you thinking?" She asked. Before either Sasuke or Naruto could answer her she turned around and motioned to the three people in the doorway. "Shut the fucking door!"

"But, Hokage-sama!" Shizune called out. Shikamaru had already backed away for them to close the door and Yamato had already reached to close the door.

"It's fine Shizune, they know to behave themselves. Open the door again in five minutes." Tsunade looked to Yamato and he shut the door. Once it was completely sealed she turned back to the two on the bed. "Getting rid of the cursed seal was just a cover for the pregnancy wasn't it?" She asked them quietly. Sasuke regarded her carefully, her anger had simmered down but it was still there. Naruto had stiffened and looked over to Sasuke, he could feel the blonde's bright blue eyes on him. The blonde was waiting for him to answer, knowing that he would screw something up somehow.

"No, at the time the cursed seal was just a bonus. We weren't planning on letting anyone know until it was too late." Sasuke answered. He could feel Naruto's hand tighten around his own.

"Too late for what?" Tsunade asked. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the two expectantly. Sasuke took a moment to think carefully, wondering what he should say and what he shouldn't.

"Too late for anyone to force a lawful abortion. They'll have to kill me to kill the baby." Sasuke's response made Tsunade chuckle, grinning angrily. Naruto glanced over to Sasuke as he gave the fact he was pregnant away.

"You both are eighteen!" Tsunade screamed. "You're too young to have a kid!" Sasuke snorted at the statement.

"But we're old enough to die for our village? Don't try to give us the age crap." Sasuke rebuked. Tsunade glowered angrily at the Uchiha, refusing to make another comment about it.

"Right, right, and you just happened to get lucky, finding a missing girl who has some amount of Kyuubi locked away inside her, right?" Tsunade growled, moving to another topic. Naruto shifted at the tone of her voice but didn't say anything, pursing his lips together to keep himself quiet.

"How could that be considered lucky?" Sasuke refused to answer her previous question.

"With everyone's attention focused on her and Naruto, people will hardly think to go after you. They don't know you're pregnant, they all still think that you're still dangerous, not to be messed with." Tsunade raised both her eyebrows at the two.

"Do you really think we could have possibly have planned for her to come along?" Sasuke asked. Tsunade repeated what Sasuke had done to her and refused to answer the question. They were at a stalemate and with no time to bluff their way through each other's defenses, Tsunade sighed angrily.

"Well congratulations, Sasuke. You were the only one to pass the chuunin exams but until we can get this figured out, you, along with your little girlfriend, will be confined to the Uchiha compound under house arrest. Naruto will be able to continue doing missions with Kakashi with him," Tsunade took a breath before continuing. "That is if the interrogations go without incident and when I say without incident I mean that nothing about the pregnancy will be said. We are only talking about the Kyuubi in that girl and what happened during the Chuunin exams. Am I clear?" She asked.

Sasuke just stared at her, Naruto grew anxious and looked from Tsunade to Sasuke, it looked like either one of them could explode in anger at any moment and they just kept pushing each others buttons. "You expect me to just go along with what you decide?" Sasuke asked calmly. Tsunade nodded and dropped her arms to her hips.

"I do, I am the Hokage. Besides, I have always taken your interests into account, both of your interests." Tsunade smirked. "Does the girl know to keep her mouth shut about the pregnancy?" Sasuke nodded. "Good, I've called for Sakura to do both your check ups, she'll be here, soon." Sasuke glanced over to the blonde to see him gulp, bright blue eyes wide in fear.

"How is that taking our interests into account?" Naruto asked and looked down at Sasuke and then back to Tsunade. The door cracked and groaned as it was unsealed; their five minutes were up. "She's going to kill me." The blonde muttered. The Hokage shrugged her shoulders with a cold smile and turned to the door as it opened.

"You should probably have thought about that before you hid your little secret from her." Tsunade cryptically spoke. She stepped out of the cell with a wave of her hand and the door shut behind her.

* * *

"Hinata, where's Sasuke and Naruto?" Sakura asked. She tapped her fingers against her crossed arms nervously, shifting from one foot to the other every thirty seconds. Hinata had shoved her hands into her pockets and wouldn't look up from the floor. Yamato and Kakashi were patiently waiting, Kakashi leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, as Yamato stood close to him, arms crossed over his chest. Tsunade had told her not to say anything but Sakura had been adamant to know what was going on. In the end, Hinata had told the pink haired girl that it concerned her teammates. Now they were waiting in the Hokage's office, the Hyuuga hoped that the older woman would return soon.

"Please Hinata, tell me what's going on." Sakura had turned to the pale-eyed girl and stepped into her personal space. Feeling her face flush, Hinata looked into bright green eyes and opened her mouth to stammer out an excuse.

"I-I-I can't, Hokage-s-sa-sama ordered me not t-to say an-anything." Hinata took a step back away from Sakura but the pink haired woman followed her, intent on finding out what was going on. The office door opened and Hinata turned around, thankful for the interruption.

"Sakura, stop bullying Hinata." Tsunade looked into the room, eyes sweeping the space and ceiling before she stepped in. Shikamaru and Shizune followed her; Shizune closed the door and stood in front of it while Shikamaru stepped up next to the other side of Sakura.

"Hokage-sama! What are you going to do with my teammates?" Sakura cried out. Tsunade raised her hand for silence as she dumped herself back into her chair and opened a drawer.

"Right now they're in isolation, waiting to be interrogated. What I plan to do with them depends on how the interrogation goes." Tsunade leaned forward, placed a sake bottle with a piece of paper with the word 'water' taped over the front of it on her desk and glanced around the room.

"But-" Sakura tried to asked another question but Tsunade turned to her with a harsh glare. The pink haired chuunin stopped mid sentence and closed her mouth obediently. Shikamaru rolled his eyes as Tsunade opened the bottle with out so much as a sound from Shizune, no wonder the Hokage was always drunk.

"I called you all here because I know you won't betray me, or them." Tsunade started off cryptically, she glanced over to Kakashi and Yamato and made sure they were listening. Sakura narrowed her eyes in confusion then glanced to Shikamaru next to her. Kakashi raised his head as Yamato turned to face the Hokage. "We don't have much time before the elders' spies get back so I'll only say what you need to know once. Sasuke is pregnant with Naruto's child," Tsunade raised her hand when Sakura's eyes widened and opened her mouth to ask a question. "You'll see how they managed that soon and when you get a chance, outside of the tower, you'll relay the information to Kakashi and Yamato with discretion."

Tsunade suddenly stopped and looked upwards as everyone else in the room did the same. It had been a small sound but the seven knew it well enough, an anbu had returned to their position in the ceiling above the office. Tsunade lifted the sake bottle and took a large gulp. "You'll be doing the physical checks on all three of them, in their cells." Tsunade looked back down to Sakura and leaned back into her chair, the bottle still in her hand. "Do you have your emergency kit?"

"Yes." Sakura answered immediately and then looked taken aback, nervous even. "What about the Suzuki girl, what's her name, Kyoka? She-that was Kyuubi's chakra earlier, right?" Sakura watched Tsunade nod and bit her lip, scared. "How is that possible?" The pink haired ninja whispered.

"We're not sure yet but Sasuke and Naruto took it upon themselves to reseal the fox's power inside of her. You'll be fine." Tsunade stood up and left her desk. She gave Kakashi and Yamato a look and the grey haired man escaped through the window, silently shutting the glass window behind him. Yamato quietly followed the other five people to the door, his mask still covering his face.

Shizune turned around and opened the door, holding it open for the three in the office. "Come on, we're going back down those damned stairs. Why didn't I get you to bring her to the isolation cells?" The Hokage asked Hinata who shook her head in response.

"You're just too-"

"Troublesome. I know, Shikamaru." Tsunade interrupted the lazy man as they filed out into the hallway. "Let's go see if they've started shagging each other already." The Hokage lifted the sake bottle to her lips again and Shikamaru glanced to Shizune who didn't think anything was amiss.

* * *

Naruto whined and stood up, pulling his hand from Sasuke's grip to run it through his hair. He started to pace around the cell, glancing at Sasuke every time he turned around. "Relax, Dobe. You're going to be fine." Sasuke told the blonde. Naruto shook his head, biting down on his lower lip nervously.

"No, you're going to be fine, Sasuke, you're pregnant, she wouldn't kill someone who's pregnant. But me, I'm toast! She's going to have my balls for this." Naruto started to mutter to himself. Sasuke rolled his eyes and scooted to the edge of the bed, reaching out for Naruto.

"I'm going to have your balls right now if you don't come over here and fuck me." Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the hem of his shirt and pulled him back to the bed. Naruto smiled and sat back down next to his lover, pulling his shirt off for the second time. "Good boy." Sasuke murmured as he watched.

"Teme, I'm not some dog that can do tricks." Naruto tossed his shirt to the ground and leaned closer to the Uchiha. "But I do like attention." He grinned and licked Sasuke's ear, watching his lover jerk away in mild surprise.

"Oh, really?" Sasuke shoved Naruto away, smirking. He gripped his own shirt and pulled it over his head. When he looked back to the blonde, Sasuke saw him licking his lips and eyeing the seal on his shoulder. "Do you like giving attention too?" He asked. Naruto raised his hand to Sasuke's cheek and leaned in again.

"That's my favorite." Naruto whispered. He looked into Sasuke's eyes before he closed his own and kissed the Uchiha. It was slow and perfect, their lips moved in synch, tongues meeting every few seconds. A hand was gently making its way up Sasuke's chest and it wasn't his. Naruto's tongue grew bolder, pressing against Sasuke's lips until the Uchiha finally relented.

Moaning, Sasuke moved closer. He raised his hands and slid them over Naruto's shoulders, pressing their bodies closer. It wasn't enough for Sasuke; he lifted his leg and moved to sit on Naruto's lap. The blonde seemed to like the idea and made an appreciative noise. Sasuke could feel the bulge forming at the crotch of Naruto's pants and ground his hips into the blonde's. A moan slipped out of Naruto's mouth, he raised his arms to wrap around the Uchiha's waist, hands rubbing Sasuke's back. Pulling away from the kiss, Naruto caught his breath and let his hands slide down to Sasuke's pants.

"What if they come back before we finish?" Naruto asked breathlessly. Sasuke said nothing, grinding his hips down and pressing his lips against the blondes again. Naruto didn't stop him to protest; instead he opened his mouth and flicked his tongue against Sasuke's.

The hands on his pants slipped under the waistband, fingers reaching between Sasuke's ass cheeks. Naruto groaned appreciatively when Sasuke ground his hips down even harder, the Uchiha's hands rising up into his hair to grip it almost painfully tight. Warm hands pressed against Sasuke's ass, forcing the Uchiha's groin closer to the blonde's. Unwilling to open his mouth to Naruto's teasing advances, Sasuke pulled away from the kiss he started and moved his head downwards to whisper in his lovers ear.

"Then hurry up and fuck me, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke barely got the nickname out before Naruto was picking him up by the seat of his ass and flipping the other male onto his back. The blonde was forcing his lips against Sasuke's, wriggling his tongue past pale pink lips and running against pearly whites. Sasuke had pressed his thighs against Naruto's sides when the blonde had decided to move and used them to wrap his legs around the blonde's waist. Naruto grunted and slipped his hands from Sasuke's ass and pried the legs off of him. He maneuvered himself so that he had his hands back in Sasuke's pants and pulled the black material down.

"Mmnn." Naruto moaned mischievously into Sasuke's mouth. Knowing exactly what the blonde was doing, Sasuke pulled his knees up and helped get his pants and boxers off with barely any difficulty. Lowering his hips, Sasuke slid his hands down to the blonde's back.

"Take them off." Sasuke managed to say as a tongue attempted to invade his mouth. Naruto continued to kiss the Uchiha, hands moving from Sasuke's legs to his own orange pants. The blonde's poor attempts to multitask finally ended when the blonde finally managed to pull off his pants and boxers and threw them to the floor. Sasuke could feel Naruto forcing his hips down and let him, the action was pushing their hardening lengths together and he was feeling lightheaded from the lack of air. Turning his head to the side, Sasuke gasped for air and pulled the blonde closer to him. Naruto seemed to resist and set his arms on the bed next to Sasuke's shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked through his own heavy breathing. He was confused, why was Naruto hesitating now? Naruto lowered his head and placed soft kisses along the Uchiha's jawline.

"What if I hurt the baby? Your stomach is getting bigger and bigger every day." Naruto whispered. Sasuke turned his head, making Naruto lift his head. They both looked down at Sasuke stomach and then to each other.

"Are you saying you want to do it doggy style?" Sasuke asked seriously. The blonde's eyes widened and his entire face turned red at the statement. Sasuke watched as Naruto broke out into a grin, chuckling softly.

"And you thought I was dense." Naruto told the dark haired male. Sasuke raised his eyebrow, not amused. "I-um, yeah sure, we can do it doggy style." Naruto tried to backtrack.

"Dobe," Sasuke brought his hand down to the blonde's face and touched his cheek gently. Naruto blinked and gulped, thinking he was in trouble. "Sex won't hurt the baby and I don't want to be careful so just flip me over and do me, _hard_."

Naruto blinked in surprise, his face turning red again and opened his mouth to say something but Sasuke lifted his head and stuck his tongue into the blonde's mouth. Sasuke took control and sat up, pushing Naruto onto his knees, far away enough for him to turn around but close enough to keep their lips attached. He had to move his hands around, the one on the blonde's cheek he moved to grip bright blonde hair, forcing Naruto to press his lips against his. Sasuke used his other hand to maneuver himself to kneel on the bed. Naruto tried to pull away from the kiss but Sasuke gripped blonde hair tightly, forcing the blonde to crawl on top of Sasuke.

"Sas-unn." Naruto spoke into Sasuke's mouth as his erection pressed against the Uchiha's ass and continued slide against the smooth skin as Sasuke just continued to pull him closer. The blonde raised his own hand to pry Sasuke's hand out of his hair and pulled away from the kiss. "What, what about the baby?" A string of saliva stretched itself in the space between their lips until it broke, falling to cling to both of their chins. Sasuke turned his head to face the bed and wiped the saliva off of his chin with his forearm and then looked back up to the blonde.

"Penetration isn't going to hurt the fetus, that's an urban myth." Sasuke watched Naruto press his thumb over his chin and wiped it on the mattress. "But you're going to go easy on me anyway." The Uchiha gave a lopsided smirk when Naruto refused to look him in the eye. That was exactly what the blonde was planning to do.

"Well yeah, Teme, it's been forever since we've been actually intimate and even longer since we had sex. You're going to be tight enough as it is." Naruto placed his hands on Sasuke's waist and moved his hips back and forth, pressing his growing erection between Sasuke's ass cheeks. Biting his lower lip, Sasuke turned around and clasped his hands together, lowering his head onto his forearms.

"Usuratonkachi, it's been three weeks." Sasuke hummed as he felt a shiver race up his spine and pressed back against Naruto. "Not three months." He could feel Naruto's hands lowering to his ass, pressing his cheeks together as the blonde continued to hump him.

"That's still a really long time." Naruto commented. He thrust his hips back and forth; squeezing Sasuke's ass cheeks with his hands with a loud exhale of breath. Sasuke leaned backwards even farther, wanting the blonde inside of him and growing irritated with the talking.

"Do you want to have sex or not, Dobe?" Sasuke growled. He lifted his head so Naruto would hear him clearly. "You were all for it before the old hag showed up." One of Naruto's hands slipped from his ass cheeks but he still kept thrusting and Sasuke felt his length twitch as the pleasure continued to travel up his spine.

"Yeah, that was when I was thinking with my dick, not my brain." Naruto told Sasuke. He stopped thrusting altogether and his other hand disappeared from the Uchiha's butt cheek.

"You're not thinking with your dick now?" Sasuke snorted. He looked back to see the blonde uncapping the small green bottle and pouring a good amount of lube onto his fingers. It looked to be slightly green in the poor lighting and Sasuke briefly remembered there was an aphrodisiac in it.

"I wasn't up until ten seconds ago." Naruto replied, distracted. Sasuke watched as Naruto lowered lubed fingers to his ass and he could feel the cold gel on his asshole and clenched up automatically. "Uuh," Naruto groaned, hypnotized. "I forgot how erotic that is."

"Really?" Sasuke asked with a smirk on his face. He clenched up again as Naruto's fingers pressed against his anus, smirking when he saw the blonde visibly shake. A finger pushed passed Sasuke's tensing muscles and wriggled smoothly until it was completely inside. Sasuke felt it searching and pushed back when the finger pressed against his prostate.

"At least I know I can still find your favorite spot." Naruto told the Uchiha and slid his finger nearly all the way out to press a second finger in with it. Sasuke groaned and wiggled his hips, eyes closing and breathing growing heavy. "Can you feel it?" Sasuke nodded, the coolness of the lube had subsided into a tingling feeling that wouldn't go away. It made his whole body feel hot and he was starting to sweat from the pleasure coursing through his veins.

"What did you say?" The blonde asked. He pushed in a third finger, pumping them quickly and waited for Sasuke to say something.

"Yes, yes I can feel it." The Uchiha gasped out. "Stop teasing me already!" He pushed his ass back and rode the fingers inside him, not really stopping Naruto from teasing him.

"Alright, I got it." Naruto pulled his fingers out and watched Sasuke wiggle at the loss, squeezing his eyes shut tight and moaning in despair. "No more teasing." The blonde grabbed both cheeks of Sasuke's ass and spread them, Sasuke shivered in anticipation, clenching his muscles and then forcing them to relax.

He could feel Naruto's length against his entrance and Sasuke held his breath. Despite what he said, the blonde thrust himself forward and the tip of his cock slid away from Sasuke's entrance, upwards. Sasuke moaned as Naruto's cock pressed against the crease of his ass. The blonde moved his hips back and forth, pressing the Uchiha's cheeks together to create more friction but the Uchiha bit his lip instead of crying out. Sasuke raised his head to look back at the blonde and saw the cheeky grin, felt the cock between his ass cheeks and his own erection twitched again.

"Mmh, this stuff is really good." Naruto sighed happily. "I'm going to have to ask Yamato for more of this." Sasuke said nothing, leaning back as the blonde thrust forward and pressing his forehead against his forearms. The heated feeling would not go away and his entire lower body ached with it. "Oh Sasuke, don't be such a spoil sport." Sasuke frowned at that and opened his mouth to retort but Naruto had other plans in mind. The blonde released one of Sasuke's cheeks and before the Uchiha knew it, the head of Naruto's erection was being pushed into him.

"Aah," Sasuke gasped out. He moved with Naruto for half a second, then pushed back, more and more of the blonde slipping inside of him. "Nngh." He tensed up and squeezed his eyes tightly, his body nearly shaking in pleasure as the aphrodisiac laced lube and the size of the blonde's length worked their magic.

"Teme, relax a little. You're so tight I can barely move." Naruto grunted. Sasuke inhaled deeply and tried to relax, the heat spreading to his toes and fingers. He could feel something gently pressing against his entrance, the lube had made the nerves there were almost numb with the intense heat. He could feel one of Naruto's hands moving over his back soothingly and assumed his other hand was the gentle prodding at his entrance. Sasuke couldn't stand it anymore; he leaned back into the blonde's length and finger, more of the hardened limb pushing deeper and deeper inside of him.

"Sa-suke." Naruto moaned out. He curled his fingers over the blonde's shoulder and moved his other hand back to the Uchiha's waist. Sasuke could feel the blonde's body heat against his skin now, his lover's length filling him and sending jolts of pleasure up his spine. He felt himself spasm, earning another moan from the blonde. Naruto seemed incapable of holding himself back any longer. He pushed himself completely inside Sasuke, holding the Uchiha steady with a firm grip on his waist and shoulder. Sasuke exhaled noisily, lifting his head and raising his lower body up on his hands.

"Yes!" Sasuke moaned out. The blonde took this as the go ahead and pulled nearly all the way out before slowly pushing himself back into the man underneath him. Sasuke moved forward with him, silently tensing up again.

The thrusts came at a slow, forceful pace. Sasuke was still too tight for Naruto to make it easy. Sasuke was quiet, pursing his lips together and breathing heavily through his nose. Grunting every few seconds, Naruto eased himself farther and farther out before pushing back in to his hilt. At some point it became nearly easy for the blonde to move his hips back and forth and he slowly stopped thrusting in deep. Sasuke still refused to make a sound, tiny whimpers dying in the Uchiha's throat as Naruto's cock brushed against his prostate time and time again.

"Sasuke," Naruto leaned his upper body down and whispered into the dark haired male's ear, breath tickling heated skin. "No one else is here, let me hear your voice." The blonde thrust nearly completely inside Sasuke and the Uchiha could sense the blonde's grin as he groaned. He didn't think he could take it anymore; he needed to be touched. Sasuke lowered himself down to his elbows and moved his left arm in front of him, reaching down with his right hand to grab his own erection. Naruto felt the change in height and watched over the Uchiha's shoulder, acting quickly.

"Uh-uh-uh," Naruto moved his hand on Sasuke's shoulder to the Uchiha's erection, gripping it tightly as Sasuke's hand enclosed around his. "No jerking yourself off." The blonde taunted the man below him and pumped the cock in hand. Sasuke moaned and lowered his hand back to the mattress in response.

"More, touch me more." Sasuke strained his neck to look back at Naruto, eyes half lidded with lust and cheeks a deep red. He watched the blonde's jaw drop almost comically, bright blue eyes focusing into a blank stare. The hand around his erection loosened and Sasuke pushed his ass against the blonde's hips in hopes of getting a reaction.

It seemed to do the trick and Naruto closed his mouth, hand sliding from the tip to hilt of his cock gently. Naruto's cock was throbbing inside of him; the lube had gone from numbing him to over sensitizing every nerve in his lower body. Exhaling noisily, Sasuke turned his head back to the front and pressed his forehead to his forearms. The blonde gave a full, long thrust and Sasuke cried out, his body lurching forward with Naruto's movement.

"Hah, aaahh," Sasuke moaned. Naruto had returned to deep thrusting and Sasuke had given up keeping quiet. "Do you, feel that, too?" Sasuke gasped out between thrusts. The blonde grunted with a thrust in acknowledgement.

"Nnh, yeah. This stuff, is, ghh, great." Naruto gave a particularly hard thrust and Sasuke collapsed his upper body onto the mattress with a guttural groan. He would have let his knees slide out from underneath him but Naruto's hand was holding him up by his waist and the other was gripping his cock. He was losing himself in pleasure, the tingling wouldn't stop and the heat was continuously rolling in his stomach. With each thrust, Sasuke cried out and at some point he had found places to grip the mattress and held on tightly. It was all so good, he didn't know how much longer he was going to last.

"Sasuke," Naruto's voice sounded urgent but he didn't want to talk, he wanted the blonde to keep pounding into him and he whined in response. "Sasuke come here!" Naruto cried out. The hand on his cock let go and moved to grip Sasuke's armpit. Continuing to manhandle Sasuke, Naruto picked the Uchiha's upper body up and nudged Sasuke's thighs hurriedly to move. Sasuke placed both his hands on the wall as the blonde directed the rest of his movement. His feet dangled over the edge of the raised bed, chest brushing against the cool stone as he pushed his ass back into the blonde's crotch.

Naruto pushed back with his hips as he wrapped his hand around Sasuke's length again, the other slipping over the Uchiha's mouth. Sasuke made a small indignant noise and felt Naruto's body press up against his own, breath tickling his ear. Shivers ran over his spine and he licked Naruto's fingers in hopes it would incite the blonde. "Stop it, Teme! Someone's coming in." Naruto whispered into his ear. The sound of the blonde's voice made him want to moan again but the words sent a jolt of shock into his system. Silence settled between them, then Sasuke heard the grating sound of stone against stone of the door moving. How had he not heard that before?

"How much do you wanna bet they're-holy crap they are." Tsunade's voice broke through the silence. Sasuke listened with wide eyes; he could hear people gasping and then the sound of someone grabbing something.

"Umm." Naruto started but the sound of Shikamaru's voice stopped him.

"Hinata just fainted." Shikamaru sounded annoyed. Sasuke didn't dare turn his head; a cold jolt of shock was freezing his insides and keeping him from moving. It was one thing to have sex while on probation, having anbu know they were doing it but this was a completely different situation. having the Hokage along with several of their friends walk in on them doing it.

"Lay her down, I got her." Sakura's voice came out quiet and authoritative. Sasuke could feel Naruto's hair tickle against his neck as he looked to the door.

"Guess that means we'll have to interrogate the girl first. We'll be back for you two in half an hour." Tsunade's voice sounded smug and cheeky. Realizing that he didn't want them to come back that soon, Sasuke pushed back into Naruto and licked the fingers over his mouth before taking the pointer finger and sucking on it.

"Aah, can you make that an hour?" Naruto asked shakily. For a moment, Sasuke thought that Tsunade was going to deny them the extra time.

"Whatever, I just wanted to see if you two were actually doing it." Tsunade spoke in an almost bored tone as the sound of the stone door closing started. "Shizune, you owe me a bottle of sake." There was a sound of peeling tape and Sasuke could hear the beginning of one of Shizune's many rants about Tsunade getting drunk before the door closed again, sealing them in silence again. Sasuke released the digit in his mouth and ground into Naruto's waist. The blonde groaned and pushed back, his hand running down smooth skin to an erect nipple.

"Don't." the Uchiha gasped out but Naruto pinched his nipple anyway. Sasuke let out a long groan as the blonde's hands expertly manipulated his body, one on his nipple and the other fondling his length.

"Okay," Naruto whispered in Sasuke's ear. His hands curled around the Uchiha's waist and moved him back down to the bed. "Next time they barge in on us, I'll let them see your lusty, 'cold asshole' reputation-ruining expression." Sasuke shivered underneath him, muscles flexing as he readjusted himself back onto his arms and elbows.

"You wouldn't." Sasuke moaned. Naruto pulled himself almost all the way out and thrust back inside. He picked his pace back up where he had left off and pounded into the Uchiha. Sasuke groaned and closed his eyes, pushing back with every thrust.

"Don't tease me in front of everybody, I won't be able to hold myself back next time." Naruto grunted. He gripped Sasuke's waist and thrust harder, both their bodies lurched forwards. Sasuke gasped out and groaned. "You close?" The blonde asked.

"Yeah," Sasuke murmured between short groans. "Don't you, dare ease, up on me." The Uchiha lowered his head and squeezed his ass muscles together, inhaling raggedly as the blonde thrust into him again.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Naruto leaned down to lick the back of Sasuke's neck, hips gyrating with enthusiasm. Sasuke was losing to the pleasure; every nerve in his ass was on fire with pleasure, the burning sensation travelling up his spine as his length was twitching for skin-to-skin contact. The blonde seemed to sense this and moved one hand down to it, pumping quickly. Sasuke gasped and jerked back into a thrust, so close to peaking the height of his orgasm he was about ready to plead for it. A jolt of shock and pain ripped through his system as Naruto bit into his shoulder here his seal was. It sent him over the edge. Sasuke had forgotten how sensitive a seal could be and he came with a loud cry. Naruto's hand was milking him dry as he dirtied the mattress, the blonde's length still pounding into him. He could feel himself spasm with every movement.

Naruto was still biting onto his shoulder, as if it were a lifeline and he moaned out something Sasuke couldn't make out as he pulled out of the Uchiha's entrance and slid his erection between the two butt cheeks one more time. Something warm splattered onto his lower back, the blonde's cum. All Sasuke could hear was Naruto's heavy breathing and his own, his ass was still tingling with the after sensations of a mind-blowing orgasm. The blonde's jaw lost all tension and he released the grip on the Uchiha's shoulder. A hand on his hip disappeared and Sasuke turned around to see what Naruto was doing. Sasuke could see Naruto's tan hand reaching off the bed for his own pair of boxers with smiling cartoon frog heads on them. The blonde lifted the pair of boxers up and Sasuke looked to the blonde's face to see what he was planning. The satisfied, lopsided smile told Sasuke that the blonde was going to clean up the mess he made.

"I hope you don't plan on putting those back on." Sasuke mentioned as the blonde pressed the leg of the boxers onto Sasuke's back and wipe the cooling liquid away.

"Nah, I can bear to lose these. Going commando won't be a problem either." Naruto's voice was soft and quiet; Sasuke almost thought the blonde was actually tired from sex.

"I'm surprised, Dobe. I'd thought you wanted to ruin my boxers." Sasuke raised an eyebrow when Naruto shrugged his shoulder, tossing the dirtied cloth to the far side of the room. Naruto got off the bed and took Sasuke's hand to help him off the bed.

"You wouldn't have let me if I tried." Naruto retorted. His smile turned the tiniest bit cheeky and Sasuke tightened his grip on the blonde's hand.

"What did you do to my boxers?" Sasuke asked in irritation. Every time he left Naruto alone in the house the blonde would do something to his boxers. It was getting annoying, why did Naruto have to have a fetish with him wearing underwear with ramen on them?

"What? Why do you think I did something to them?" Naruto sheepishly smiled and tried to pull his hand out of Sasuke's grasp without success.

"Because I know you, Usuratonkachi. They better be where I left them when we get home or you're going to have more than Sakura to worry about." Sasuke released Naruto's hand and gave the blonde a look before bending down to pick up his own boxers and pants.

"Uhh, yeah of course they're there! You worry too much!" Naruto chuckled nervously and turned to the bed, pulling off the sheet, turning it over and messily tucking the edges under the bed again. Sasuke took the time to put on his clothes and stretch out his sore muscles.

Once the mattress was fixed, Naruto picked up his pants and pulled them on. Sasuke sat down and watched the blonde sit down next to him, setting his arm over the Uchiha's shoulder as he leaned down to kiss Sasuke's cheek. Sasuke turned his head and caught Naruto's lips with his own. Naruto opened his eyes in surprise and nearly pulled away if Sasuke hadn't raised his hand to the blonde's cheek. Both sucked each other's lips in the long kiss and Naruto had to grab Sasuke's hand off his cheek to break the kiss, both of them needing to catch their breath.

"I get it, Teme, I love you too." Sasuke regarded the blonde for a second, then sighed softly, closed his eyes and set his head on Naruto's shoulder. He was tired and worn out; Naruto was so warm and comfortable to lean against…

* * *

"How could you not know that was a sake bottle?" Shikamaru asked. He stared at the shattered remains of the bottle, and then looked to Shizune who stammered out some excuse, blushing wildly.

"Never mind about that," Tsunade growled. She stepped to another isolation cell door and pointed to it. "Open this up, now." The Hokage spoke to Yamato, who had been unusually eerily silent. "Shizune, Sakura, get Hinata up to the infirmary, have someone take a look at her." Yamato stepped forward to open the door as Shizune and Sakura picked the unconscious Hyuuga.

"What about Kyoka's checkup?" Sakura asked. Tsunade shook her head.

"She'll be fine until after her interrogation, she does have Kyuubi inside of her." Tsunade watched the two women carry the other unconscious ninja away and then turned her attention to the opening stone door. "Go get her." Tsunade nodded to Shikamaru who sighed but did as he was told. He stepped into the isolation cell and frowned as the light flickered. She wasn't on the bed so he turned, looking at the rest of the small cell. The lazy genius found the redhead curled up in the corner next to the bin for her waste, staring at him with wide eyes.

"You do know that that bin there is where people shit, right?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and watched the redhead look over to the bin, back at Shikamaru and slowly with her foot push the bin away.

"Are you going to interrogate me now?" She asked. Shikamaru nodded and watched the redhead shift nervously. When she didn't get up, the lazy genius sighed heavily.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. He raised his eyebrow in confusion as the girl flinched and curled in on herself further. "Why are you scared? It's an interrogation, not torture." Shikamaru watched her get up and slowly step toward him. "Come on Kyoka, we don't have all day." The redhead stopped, expression growing confused.

"My name is Kyoko." She bit her lower lip nervously and watched Shikamaru roll his eyes and turn around.

"Whatever; just follow me." He didn't care about her name, she could have been named Floor and he would have given her the same response. They both stepped outside the cell and Yamato closed the door behind them. Tsunade was leaning against the wall, face red and eyes half open.

"Pfffh." The Hokage blew air out of her mouth and stood up, leaning down to the redhead's height. "You're the little shit that messed up my Chuunin exams." Tsunade grinned meanly, almost creepily and Shikamaru could see the young redhead start to shake.

"Hokage-sama-" Yamato tried to interrupt but Tsunade held a wobbling hand to his masked face.

"I'm going to enjoy fucking you up." Tsunade stared at Kyoko, looking into the scared green eyes of the teenager. Yamato made a disgruntled noise and shifted as Tsunade started to smell something funky. She looked down at Kyoko's lower body to see a wet spot forming at the crotch of her pants and liquid pooling around her feet.

"Holy fuck, you actually pissed yourself." Tsunade muttered, astounded. She opened her mouth to say something, puking up the contents of her stomach onto Kyoko's front instead.

"Haah-hi-yaaaah!" Kyoko screamed and backed away into Shikamaru in a terrified shock. Shikamaru grabbed her and gripped her shoulders tightly to keep her from running. Tsunade started to fall forward and Yamato caught her, holding her up with some difficulty.

"Get her to the interrogation cell, then get her a glass of water. If you can find something for Kyoko to wear, bring it." Shikamaru immediately pushed the redhead in front of him, pushing her to walk as she silently continued to freaked out. Tsunade was groaning behind him and the lazy genius looked back to see the man carrying the Hokage in his arms. Sighing at all the work he was doing and going to have to do, he pushed the redhead down endless halls to the interrogation cells. He could hear anbu moving above him but he didn't really care to stop and explain and when he rounded a corner he nearly pushed the girl into an anbu.

"Nara Shikamaru, what are you doing with the Hokage and a ninja suspected of treason?" The anbu asked. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and pushed the redhead away from the anbu. She shuffled behind him and was silent.

"Only the Hokage can decide if anyone has, or could have, committed treason. Hokage-sama, do you think Kyoko has committed treason?" Shikamaru turned to Yamato and Tsunade, she lifted her head, frowned and slurred out her response.

"Who's Kyo-?" She watched Shikamaru nod to the redhead and her confused drunken expression lifted. "She's just a little shit, couldn't treason her way out of her own pants." Finding this funny, Tsunade snorted and tilted her head back as Kyoko backed away from her into the wall, hands trying to hide the crotch of her pants.

"Now, I am taking the Hokage and the 'little shit' to an interrogation room where she can decide if the 'little shit' is worth worrying about. The elders can learn about Tsunade-sama's decision after she's made it." Shikamaru reached out to Kyoko and grabbed her by a chunk of her unkempt wavy red hair. He half dragged her past the anbu, Yamato carrying the Hokage after him.

"I-I'm suspected of committing treason?" Kyoko whimpered weakly.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru shook his head and led them down countless hallways for several minutes. "No, the elders are just trying to meddle."

"Who are the elders?" Kyoko asked quietly. Shikamaru stopped in the middle of a hallway and let go of her hair. He stepped up to a metal door and unlocked it.

"The elders are old people who think the old fashioned way is the best way." Shikamaru held the door open and motioned with his head for the three to enter. Kyoko cautiously stepped into the dark room, just inside so she could ask Shikamaru a question. Yamato dutifully went deeper into the room, made noises and came back out, Tsunade no longer in his arms.

"The old fashioned way?" The redhead asked. Shikamaru nodded to Yamato who immediately picked up a quick pace and the lazy genius pulled the door shut.

"Yeah, where they destroy everything that doesn't fit in with their views, so troublesome." Shikamaru muttered. The door closed and the lazy ninja locked it, sealing the three people in total darkness.


	15. Interrogation

**July 18th, still the tenth week**

"Turn on the damned lights!" Tsunade yelled. Shikamaru could hear Kyoko jump at the sound of the Hokage's voice and he raised his hand to flip the light switch. The light flickered on and buzzed loudly, it did little to light the room, the corners completely shadowed. In the middle of the room were two chairs and a small desk, big enough to rest an elbow on. Tsunade was already sitting in one of the chairs, already looking hung over. He could see Kyoko standing near him, half hidden in shadows. The smell of puke and piss was wafting around her and Shikamaru wrinkled his nose at her. The redhead's green shirt was stained brown and her khaki shorts were a dark brown at her crotch area.

"The light is shit." Tsunade mumbled. She looked over to the other two in the room and motioned for them to come closer. "Kyako," She pointed to the chair across the desk from her. "Sit."

"Her name is Kyoko, Hokage-sama, and the lights haven't been replaced since they were put in place." Shikamaru told her but motioned for the redhead to go sit in the other chair. She carefully walked up to the chair and stood in front of it.

"I-I don't, can I just stand until, until the other guy comes back." Kyoko nervously looked at the chair and then at the half drunken, half hung over Hokage.

"Whatever. We can't really start with her unconscious." Shikamaru nodded to the Hokage as he pointed out the fact that she had fallen asleep and was drooling on the desk. They were silent for several minutes, Kyoko shifting on her feet and creating a sticky sound with her urine covered feet and the floor.

"S-she won't, she isn't, isn't going to hurt me, is she?" Kyoko looked nervously between Tsunade and Shikamaru, fingering the edges of her shirt. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her.

"Her bite is worse than her bark but she's drunk. You're going to be fine as long as you talk." Shikamaru watched her gulp noisily and shift again, her feet sticking to the floor. It took another few minutes for Yamato to return and knock on the door before opening it with a pitcher of water, a glass, and a pair of blue scrubs. He set the pitcher and glass on the table, handed the scrubs to Kyoko and moved back to shut the door. Kyoko took it gratefully, and then looked up from the blue clothes with a terrified expression.

"Where, where am I supposed to change?" She asked. Shikamaru nodded off to a shadowy corner and watched the redhead whirl her head in the direction he pointed to.

"It'll be fine, it's too dark in here to see here. Just turn around and do it quickly." Shikamaru turned his attention back to Yamato as the girl made her way to the corner with sticky footsteps. The other male was pouring water into the cup and picking it up before poking the Hokage's cheek roughly. The Hokage didn't even flinch and Yamato poked her cheek again to no avail. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and stepped up to the small desk. He could hear the redhead shuffling in the darkness and didn't look simply because he didn't want this image stuck in his practically eidetic memory.

"Move, don't look in the corner, redhead is changing." Shikamaru watched the masked man turn his head away from the corner the genius pointed out and stepped away from the unconscious Hokage. With practiced ease, Shikamaru grabbed the back of the chair and gripped it tightly before kicking a leg of the chair and broke it. The chair collapsed in the direction of the broken leg. The Hokage lurched to the ground, snorting as she woke up and hit the ground face first.

"Guurgh," The Hokage groaned and lifted her head with an angry expression on her face. She got up, looked at the chair and then turned her attention to the lazy genius in front of her. "I hate you." Tsunade growled. Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and tossed the broken chair into a shadowy corner.

"I don't care." Shikamaru motioned to the other chair and Tsunade slowly made her way to it, glancing at the corner the redhead was on. "You got vomit on her clothes." She shook her head and raised her hand to wave him away.

"You, redhead." Tsunade plopped down on the remaining chair and turned to look over at the girl who had finished putting on the scrubs and turned around, her feet sticking to the floor. "Get over here and stand." Kyoko tentatively stepped forward, the light illuminating the vomit that had somehow got onto her face and in her hair. Tsunade opened her mouth and stared, her eyebrows furrowed as she focused on the nervous genin. Kyoko's eyes widened and she stiffened when the older woman's expression didn't change.

"Ignore her, she's too drunk to function." Shikamaru moved to stand behind the Hokage's chair and shook his head. "Troublesome." Tsunade shook her head and lowered it down on the desk.

"You have crap on your face." Tsunade groaned. Kyoko raised her hand to her face, touching the brown residual chunky vomit and pulling her hand away in surprise and disgust. She brought the edge of her blue scrub shirt and pulled it up to her face, revealing the tattoo like seal on white skin and the underside of her breasts. Shikamaru winced at the sight and looked away. What was with women and showing off their chests? The Hokage's daily clothes showed off way too much cleavage and Ino enjoyed making Chouji squirm in embarrassment when she took her shirt off. Yes, he liked boobs but seeing them outside the bedroom was just, troublesome, even some underboob.

"No bra? Nice." Tsunade was looking up at her from the desk. "I'm betting you aren't wearing underwear either, miss 'pee in your pants'." Yamato suddenly burst into a fit of coughing as Kyoko's face burned bright red and she yanked her shirt back down.

"The vomit seeped through my shirt." Kyoko whispered. She refused too look up from her feet and fiddled with her already dirtied scrubs. Tsunade snorted and Yamato seemed to refocus again.

"I suggest you get started. It won't be long before the elders find another way to meddle." The masked man made sense and Shikamaru shifted from one foot to the other, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What, what do you want to know?" Kyoko asked tentatively. She looked from Yamato to Shikamaru to Tsunade nervously and then bit her lower lip. Tsunade lifted her head and grabbed the glass of water and took a sip, water spilling from her lips. Yamato turned and opened the door again, leaving and closing it behind him, as if the Hokage's actions had been commands.

"Why don't you start with how the Kyuubi came to be inside you? That's pretty much where I'd like to begin." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as the redhead gulped loudly and then opened her mouth to stutter.

* * *

"Hinata, Hinata, wake up." A voice brought the female Hyuuga back to consciousness. She blinked and focused on the face above her. "Hey Hinata, how are you feeling?" Sakura asked.

"I can't believe I fell for that." Hinata could hear Shizune talking to herself and she slowly sat up. Sakura backed away and smiled gently at her patient. They were in the infirmary in a secluded area. The walls were white; she was sitting on the examining table, Shizune in a chair across from it with Sakura between them.

"I fainted?" Hinata tried to remember what had last happened before she fainted and pursed her lips in concentration. When she realized what she had seen she tensed and her eyes widened. "Sakura, they we-were on the bed f-f-fu-"

"Hinata, sweetie, don't think about it." Sakura interrupted the Hyuuga's stuttering and rubbed her shoulder soothingly. "Just try to block it out of your mind." Sakura smiled softly and patted Hinata's shoulders and looked over to Shizune.

"It's been a long day Shizune and we're far from done. You were expecting her to at least get through the interrogations before she started drinking." Sakura smiled to the older woman and got a queasy grin in return.

"Thank you for trying to make me feel better, Sakura," Shizune looked down at her lap from her seat in the chair. "Your awfully calm about all this, how are you handling the news?" The older woman tried to change the subject and Sakura looked surprised, then uncertain.

"I don't know. It's all a lot to take in and I'm not sure what surprises me more." Sakura looked from Shizune to Hinata, eyes soft with sadness. Hinata looked at Sakura's bright green eyes and realized that she could only begin to understand what the pink haired ninja was going through.

"Sakura." Hinata called out softly but the medic-nin shook her head and looked over to the Hyuuga.

"The fact that they went so far to do this or the fact that they didn't tell me." Sakura finished and shook her head, the smile dropping to a look of doubt. The Hyuuga could understand that part quite well, feeling like she wasn't good enough. An uncomfortable silence settled around them, none knowing what to say.

"I think, I think they didn't want you to hold yourself back for them." Hinata quietly spoke up. Sakura looked up at the Hyuuga and bit her lower lip softly.

"It wouldn't have held me back, I would have been more than happy to give up a few months of my life if it meant they could be happy." Sakura moved to the bed Hinata was sitting on and sat down beside her, hands in her lap.

"But they couldn't ask you to do that Sakura," Shizune spoke up. "Even if you think it wouldn't have affected you, it would have been a tremendous strain on your career and social standing within the village."

"They were protecting you." Hinata softly called out. It was a realization that seemed to hit both the pinkette and the Hyuuga as Hinata said it. Sakura silently thought for a few moments.

"Still, they should have told me, I could have helped them." Sakura sighed and looked up with a smile on her face. "But at least I can help them now rather than not at all."

"That's the spirit." Shizune smiled back at the younger woman.

"I'm going to beat the crap out of Naruto too, making Sasuke fat." Sakura grinned in anticipation. Both Hinata and Shizune looked over to the medic ninja worriedly.

"But, Sasuke isn't fat." Hinata started. She trailed off; the thought of what she was going to say next would alert the anbu in the ceiling what exactly was going on.

"Do you think Tsunade-sama will be okay? Yamato-san took the whole pitcher of water." Shizune changed the topic quickly, eyes wide in nervousness. Hinata gave a small sigh of relief that she had been saved, turning to Sakura who had a response.

"I'm sure he took it for both Tsunade-sama and Kyoka, both probably need some water. He asked for some clothes for her, apparently the poor thing wet herself when the Hokage puked on her." Sakura shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't think she's used to being around such strong willed people." Hinata put in. Shizune nodded and Sakura stood up, picking up her bag of medical supplies she would need. Before either dark haired women could ask what the other was doing, an anbu poked his masked head around the curtain, he nodded to the three as Sakura slung her bag over her shoulder and walked over to him.

"Ready to check on your teammates?" Yamato's voice came from behind the mask. Sakura nodded and turned to Hinata.

"Stay here for another ten minutes and then take it easy for the rest of the day. Shizune, do you think Tsunade-sama is done with her for today? I want her to go home and relax." Sakura turned to Shizune who nodded and stood up as well.

"I agree, if the Hokage needs anything else from her I'll be sure to let her know tomorrow." Shizune moved over to sit next to the Hyuuga and wrapped an arm around the younger girl's shoulder. "How are you feeling now, Hinata?" The older woman asked.

"Better." Hinata started quietly. Sakura smiled and stepped out of the confined area, following Yamato out of the infirmary.

* * *

_Breaking away from the kiss, Naruto raised his head, sticky hands in the Uchiha's dark locks and bodies pressed close together. Sasuke looked up into bright blue eyes that were half open in a lusty gaze and felt himself shiver. He was completely at Naruto's mercy and a feeling in his stomach started to spread._

"S _ay it. Tell me." Naruto whispered huskily. Sasuke was looking up at him as the blonde licked his lips, blood covering them. He was opening his mouth to say something but he didn't know what he was going to tell him._

" _I- I don't get you." Sasuke blurted. Naruto's eyes widened as silence followed his statement. Then, the blonde burst into a cheeky smile and rolled over onto what little space there was on the mattress. The feeling was still building up inside of him, a warm feeling that Sasuke couldn't shake. Sasuke watched him, blinking as the situation sunk in. Everything that had happened since Sasuke had listened to his dying brother's story of why he killed their clan had seemed surreal. Now, he was coming back to reality with Naruto's proclamation._

" _Not exactly what I was going for but I'm sure I can change your mind." Naruto sat up and looked around the cell. The Uchiha could hear moans of pain coming from the floor and knew Naruto had caused it. "You know, for anbu they kind of sucked."_

_Sasuke sat up himself and surveyed the bloodied room; blood spatter was streaked across the walls, limbs and bodies of uniformed anbu twitched on the floor. At least he had satisfied the out of place feeling. The most crucial detail of being part of the elite group of ninja was missing. These, people, didn't have it on their left arm or even their right, a disgrace for even the least experienced impostors. "They aren't anbu." Sasuke spoke up. "No tattoo." Naruto leaned forward and stared into the bloody mess._

" _You're right, they don't." Naruto looked back to Sasuke who glanced over at the blonde and then looked away, an unusual spark of emotion spreading in his stomach. The blonde scooted closer to him on the bed, grinning like an idiot and the feeling only intensified. "Can I kiss you again?" Sasuke tensed and glanced to the blonde._

" _Shouldn't you be more worried about me escaping," Sasuke nodded to the door and then looked down at the bloody carnage. "Or figuring out why they were trying to kill me?" Naruto leaned in closer, the goofy expression looking almost creepy since the blonde was soaked in blood._

" _I don't see you trying to escape and they aren't going anywhere." Naruto replied mischievously. Sasuke found himself scooting away from the blonde and the blonde was following him on the bed._

" _Hn." Sasuke felt his bound hands touch the wall and pressed his back against it. Naruto continued to move closer and closer to him and before the Uchiha knew it, the blonde's face was so close their noses were almost touching. He could feel Naruto's breath against his lips and the warm feeling in his stomach welled up inside of him. He felt like he couldn't contain it, wanting something to happen. The blonde's face came even closer as bright blue eyes closed and Sasuke reacted, closing his eyes and tensing for what he expected to come. What the Uchiha didn't see was the blonde paused in his slow descent into a kiss and opened his eyes with a smile._

_Sasuke could feel himself tensing his eyes shut, tensing the muscles his lips slightly as his jaw trembled. Naruto lifted his hand, caressing the Uchiha's jaw softly to calm him down but only succeeded in making Sasuke squeeze his eyes tighter and face grow redder. Lifting his head even higher than Sasuke's, Naruto pulled Sasuke's head into both of his hands and pressed his lips to the blood-smeared forehead of the bound male._

" _I love you." Naruto whispered soothingly. In shock, Sasuke opened his eyes and stared at Naruto's chest. When Naruto pulled away, Sasuke lifted his head in the blonde's hands, blankly staring into blue eyes. The blonde had said it before but he had hardly paid any serious attention to it, he had thought Naruto was saying it because of the moment. Now, now Sasuke didn't know what to think._

" _Hurry, this way!" A voice called out from far away. In the hallway, echoes of footfalls were growing louder. Naruto turned his head to the doorway and dropped his smile. Leaning back down, the blonde forced Sasuke's head upwards and forced his lips onto the Uchiha's. He attempted to struggle, trying to break away from the kiss but with his back to the wall and the blonde's strong hands gripping both sides of his face, it was impossible. He lifted his leg in an attempt to push Naruto away but he was too weak for the idiot to even notice._

" _Mmgh!" Sasuke made the sound at the back of his throat and the sound seemed to communicate the discomfort Sasuke was in. Naruto pulled back and dropped his hands to his sides, leaving both males panting heavily._

" _I'm not going to let anyone else hurt you." The blonde reached out to the Uchiha who flinched at the touch. Gripping the dark haired male by his armpits, Naruto pulled the half naked man into a tight hug. "Sasuke, I'll protect you with my life."_

" _Usuratonkachi." Sasuke muttered as he was set back onto the bed. Not three seconds later a group of assorted levels of ninja were bursting through the small door of the isolation cell. All of them looked around the room, trying to talk over each other to get a full understanding of what had transpired in the tiny room. Through the confusion Sasuke's mind was drifting elsewhere, they wouldn't need him to explain anything, he was still bound with chakra dampeners. He was trying to figure out what the strangely warm feeling in his stomach and when it finally hit him he jerked his over to Naruto who was sheepishly grinning at the group of people. The feeling had been giddiness, he had been excited when the blonde had saved him and kissed him. Sasuke almost didn't believe it…_

His pillow was shifting. Sasuke opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was still in the isolation cell with Naruto who was trying to nudge Sasuke away from him. Annoyed with the fact, Sasuke sat up and frowned. Why was the blonde pushing him away?

A brighter light than the one in the cell hit his eyes and he squinted at the opening door. At least he now knew why Naruto was trying to wake him up but why hadn't he heard it? Once the door was completely open, Sakura walked in, Yamato standing on the other side so he could close the door again. Naruto gulped quietly beside him, anxiety coming off the blonde like the warmth he was radiating.

"Alright, who wants to go first?" Sakura asked. Her voice was calm and her posture relaxed but both men knew better than to believe she was unperturbed. Yamato shut the door, locked it and the pink haired medic ninja's body posture do a complete one-eighty.

"Naruto," Sakura growled. Her face morphed into a scowl and her body tensed in anger. "Do you want to go first?" Naruto shook his head roughly in denial but Sakura dropped her bag on the ground and stepped up to the bed.

"No." The blonde's eyes went wide and he scooted as close to Sasuke as possible, trying to get away from their infuriated teammate. Sakura loomed over the two sitting on the bed and grinned angrily.

"Alright then, Sasuke can go first." Sakura raised her hands to crack her knuckles menacingly. Naruto moved to the edge of the bed,

"Sakura you can't, he's-" Naruto started to say but Sakura stopped him easily with a punch square to the jaw. The blonde careened off the bed and sprawled onto the floor, Sasuke watched the blonde fall sideways to the floor and curl up in pain. Looking back up to the girl who tilted her head and cracked the muscles in her neck.

"Shirt, off, now." Sakura commanded. The Uchiha did as he was told and pulled his shirt off.

"Owww-wowowow." Naruto brought his hands to his face and sat up, tears welling up at the corners of the blonde's eyes. "Why'd you hit me?" The man on the floor whined. Sasuke pulled his shirt over his head just in time to see Sakura hit the male on the head roughly.

"Turn to the side so I can get a better look at your seal." Sakura ignored Naruto and instead sat down next to the Uchiha in order to get a better look at the seal. "Oh," Sakura whispered. "I've only read about these, it's amazing." Sasuke shifted and the pinkette placed her hand on the seal, tracing over the squiggly lines and the Uchiha fan with the spiraling line. Naruto whimpered to himself and sat up again, keeping a wary eye on his attacker.

"Hn." Sasuke responded. He could feel Sakura's fingers tracing over his shoulder and Naruto stood up, frowning at the teammate that had punched him.

"Were you hurt anywhere during the exam or your escape to the compound?" Sakura asked. She took her hands off of the seal and looked over the Uchiha's bare chest for a bruise or cut.

"No." Sasuke muttered. The medic ninja seemed to not trust Sasuke's judgment and brought the healing green chakra out to her hands. She ghosted her fingers over Sasuke's upper chest and back, checking his vitals.

"Alright then," Sakura lifted her hands from Sasuke's body and stood up. "You're going to have to lay down for me to do this." Sasuke sighed and moved to lie down on the bed, head close to Naruto on the floor. He turned his head over to look at the blonde and blinked when bright blue eyes stared back at him.

"Can I hold his hand?" Naruto asked softly. Sakura nodded and Sasuke gave a lopsided smile as he raised his hand near his head, a calloused, tan hand gripping his own reassuringly. The medic gripped the edge of Sasuke's pants and pulled them down far enough she could get a good view of the Uchiha's abdomen. Her hands ghosted over Sasuke's pale skin, over the small bulge several times before she turned to her bag and rummaged through it.

"Do you know how far along you are?" Sakura asked. She pulled out a clipboard, a pen and a ponytail holder. Setting the clipboard and pen down the woman pulled as much of her hair as she could back.

"Ten weeks give or take a couple days." Sasuke answered. Sakura clicked her pen open and started to write on a sheet of paper. Both men waited patiently for their teammate to ask another question.

"Two and a half months." Green eyes never strayed from the paper in front of her. "You didn't happen to get any prenatal pills in those weeks, or have you?" Naruto gulped loudly as he remembered that escapade.

"We managed to come across some." Sasuke answered. Sakura glanced down at Sasuke briefly before returning her eyes to the clipboard.

"Are you going to ask if he's been drinking or smoking next?" Naruto snorted. Instead of answering the blonde, she kicked him in the shoulder and sent the blonde sprawling across the room. Sasuke watched the two quietly; craning his neck to watch Naruto slam into the wall, head first.

"Don't be so violent with him, everything was my idea." Sasuke lowered his head and stared at Sakura who ignored him.

"Yeah come on, Sakura! I'm not some ragdoll or dummy you can just beat the crap out of." Naruto cried out. He stood up and stepped closer to his female teammate, rubbing his shoulder tenderly. "I think you might've dislocated my shoulder there for a second." The blonde muttered.

Instead of responding with words, the pink haired medic stopped writing, grabbing the clipboard with her pen hand and clenched her other hand into a fist. Her scowl darkened and she whirled towards the blonde in an attempt to harm him. Naruto didn't flinch, blue eyes staring into Sakura's bright green ones. Sasuke jerked his hand outwards, catching their teammates wrist mid-swing. Sakura whirled her head towards Sasuke and tugged her arm but the Uchiha refused to let go, staring up at her in complete seriousness.

"Hurt him again and I'll break your wrist. He doesn't deserve it." Sasuke told her. Sakura's expression softened and she bit her lower lip. Her eyebrows furrowed, jaw quivering as tears welled at the edges of her eyes. Naruto reached out to the woman and held her as she burst out crying. Sasuke released Sakura's wrist and sat up, moving over so Naruto could set Sakura down. Sasuke held a stony expression as Sakura dropped the pen and clipboard into her lap and brought her hands up to hide her face before burying it in Naruto's chest. Both males silently listened to their teammate sob, Naruto nervously looking to Sasuke for some sort of instruction. The Uchiha just shrugged his shoulders and watched as the blonde awkwardly held the pinkette.

It seemed so strange to Sasuke. Naruto's first love had been the girl in his arms and now he looked so lost with what to do with her. Not even a few hours ago, Sasuke was doing the same exact thing as Sakura and Naruto had comforted him without a moment of hesitation.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked hesitantly. The pink haired woman just sobbed once and sniffled pathetically.

"Why didn't you guys let me help you?" She hit Naruto's chest softly, voice muffled by her other hand. "I'm your teammate." Naruto looked up to Sasuke, mouth agape as he tried to think of something to say.

"This wasn't something we had to do as teammates," Sasuke looked down from Naruto to Sakura. "This was between Naruto and I, as lovers." Both men listened to the soft breathing of their teammate as she regained composure.

"That still doesn't answer my question. Why didn't you ask me to help with this." Sakura continued. "You guys are only eighteen."

"You're eighteen too, Sakura and we weren't going to let you sacrifice your career for us." Naruto shakily explained to her, hoping it would have a calming effect. Pulling away from Naruto's embrace, she wiped away her tears and picked her clipboard back up. The blonde gave her a curious look, bowing his head down to see the woman's expression. Sasuke stayed where he was, watching almost casually.

"Alright fine. Then why didn't you tell me?" Sakura's bright green eyes were hard and angry as she turned to the Uchiha. "Why did I have to hear it from Tsunade?" Both men looked to each other, Sasuke widening his eyes a fraction and raising his eyebrows slightly to emphasize that Naruto should explain.

"We were going to tell you when we got you to move into the compound but," Naruto started hesitantly. "Things didn't go exactly as we planned." He raised his hands in defense as Sakura turned her attention to him, anger radiating from her.

"You think?" Sakura bit out. "Both of you are idiots." She stood up and started to pace around the cell, arms crossed over her chest. "So much could have gone wrong with the pregnancy already and since it's not even a real womb the chances of losing the fetus would have increased from 25 percent to 35, even 40." Naruto looked over to Sasuke, bright blue eyes filled with worry. Sasuke shook his head as he had a pretty good guess of what the blonde was thinking.

"If the fetus had detached from the uterus the seal would have broken." Sasuke spoke up as Sakura made a turn as she came close to the small cell's wall.

"But so many other things could have gone wrong, you shouldn't even have participated in the Chuunin exams. What were you thinking when you decided to do it? Sasuke, I thought you were the smart one!" Sakura turned to the two and lifted a hand to run it through her hair.

"Hn," Sasuke replied. He crossed his arms over his own chest, offended that his teammate would think he didn't think this through before rushing into it like an idiot. "It was now or never."

"If we had waited then Sasuke might never have been able to take the chuunin exams. Don't you see Sakura?" Naruto broke in. Sakura bit her lip as she thought about what the blonde had said.

"Yes I do," Sakura grudgingly answered. She frowned but didn't say anything to contradict the blonde. "Okay, I can't take this anymore. Naruto, get off the bed and Sasuke lay down. I'm going to check the fetus now, it won't be long before Shikamaru and Yamato come back for one of you." Following the pink haired medic's directions, Naruto sat on the floor, next to Sasuke's head and watched Sasuke lie down. Sakura sighed and relaxed, green chakra glowing from her hands.

"Here we go." Sakura kneeled down and gently pressed her hand down on the Uchiha's stomach. Her hand moved around the area for a few seconds before she lowered it to his abdomen, her breath hitching.

"What is it? Is something wrong with the baby?" Naruto asked. Immediately worried that the change in Sakura's composure meant something bad.

"No, at least not that I can see yet." Sakura glanced over to the blonde. "It's just so amazing that you guys were able to do this all on your own. In most scenarios where a chakra uterus would be involved it would taken multiple experts working on this kind of seal before insemination was introduced." The pinkette moved her hand slowly over the whole abdomen.

"We only had one shot and I wasn't going to do it half-assed." Sasuke muttered. He blinked and turned his head, feeling uncomfortable with the Sakura's praise and pressure on his growing stomach. Sakura continued to press on Sasuke's abdomen, ignoring Sasuke's last statement to concentrate. The three were silent for long, full minutes. Naruto glancing between the two nervously as Sasuke waited patiently for their teammate to finish. When she was done, she let the green chakra fade but her hand still remained on Sasuke's pale skin. When she finally pulled her hand away, she was giving Sasuke a smile of relief.

"Everything is fine, the womb is working perfectly and the fetus is strong." Sakura looked to Naruto who collapsed onto his back, moaning in relief.

"Thank goodness!" The blonde cried out. Sakura smiled and watched Naruto scramble back up onto the bed, wrap his arms around the Uchiha's arms and chest before placing slobbery wet kisses all over his face. Sakura chuckled as Sasuke winced and tried to push the idiot away, tilting his head away from the wet lips of his lover.

"Usuratonkachi! Stop it, she's not done yet!" Sasuke brought a leg up and pressed it against the blonde's stomach. Naruto could feel himself being pushed back and he frowned when Sasuke's face was out of kissing reach.

"I'm not?" Sakura asked. She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted most of her weight to one foot, looking at the two with a raised eyebrow.

"She's not?" Naruto asked. Just as confused as Sakura was. Sasuke nodded and gripped the blonde's tan hand as he showed his backside to his teammate.

"Yes, I need you to check my spine and hips. They were changed when we were putting the chakra uterus in." Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto's hand and the blonde was silent, feeling guilty.

"That sounds normal, women have wider hips and a greater curvature in the spine for child bearing." Sakura sat back down next to the Uchiha and placed her hand on Sasuke's spine. "If you didn't, you would eventually be in so much pain you wouldn't be able to sit up." Naruto's eyes widened at that.

"But that's not going to happen, right?" Naruto asked, worried. Sakura was silent as she inspected Sasuke's spine, making the blonde's nervousness increase with each passing second.

"Sasuke, I'm going to need you to stand up." Sakura muttered. She lifted her hand and stood up again, Sasuke following her, letting Naruto's hand slip out of his own. "Turn around and raise your hands outwards, stand with your feet parallel to your shoulders." Sasuke did as instructed and looked down to Naruto with a calm expression. He could feel Sakura's hands on his waist, lowering down to his hips and past them to the top of his legs. She did it again before sighing in relief and dropped her hands.

"Everything looks good, you won't need to fix anything until after the pregnancy." Sakura smiled and looked over to Naruto. "Stop worrying, Naruto. You did fine." The blonde laughed in relief, stood up and hugged Sasuke by his waist. He picked the Uchiha up and spun him around as Sasuke wrapped his arms around the blonde's shoulders on instinct.

"Dobe! Put me down!" Sasuke called out. He didn't stop Naruto from spinning him around, happy that everything with the baby was fine. The blonde did as he was asked but couldn't stop himself from leaning forward and kissing the Uchiha briefly. All three heard the distinct sound of the stone door being opened and Sakura turned to see who was opening it while Naruto set Sasuke back down with a big grin on his face.

"Alright, who wants to go next?" Yamato asked. Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled him forward.

"He will." The pink haired ninja turned her attention to the blonde, picking up her bag and clipboard. "You don't really need me to check you over do you Naruto? Kyuubi will have healed anything by now." Naruto shook his head and backed away, fearing he would piss their teammate off again.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't pay me any mind." Naruto sat back down on the bed, blue eyes turned to Sasuke's retreating form.

"Good. Is Kyoka in her cell, Yamato?" Sakura followed Sasuke out of the cell and the man in anbu clothing shut the door, affirming that the redhead was back inside of her cell. When the door was completely shut, the blonde rested against the wall, sighing in relief.

"I thought her name was Kyoko." Naruto murmured to himself. He shook his head, not really worrying about it. The baby was fine, Sasuke was fine, and everything was going to be okay. What a relief.

* * *

Sakura didn't need to wait for Yamato to come back from escorting Sasuke to the interrogation room. She made him open the door to the girl's isolation cell before he left and stepped inside. The redheaded girl was sitting on her bed in scrubs, arms wrapped around her legs in the fetal position, scared green eyes watching Sakura carefully.

"Hey, Kyoka. How are you doing?" The pink chuunin asked softly. She smiled and brought the stone door an inch from being closed so she wouldn't be stuck with the girl until Yamato came back.

"It's," The redhead started. Her voice was shaky and she stopped to breathe and control herself. "Kyoko." Sakura continued to smile, nodding her head before slowly stepping up to the younger girl.

"Right, sorry. I guess I heard your name called out wrong during the exams." Sakura set her emergency kit and motioned to a space on the bed without a second thought of her name. "Can I sit here to examine you?" Kyoko nodded and looked away. Sakura sat down and opened her emergency kit, looking for the instruments that would aid her.

"Do you, have anything for claustrophobia?" The redhead asked. Sakura blinked and looked over to the redhead.

"Claustrophobia?" The pinkette asked.

* * *

"No chair for you." Tsunade grumbled and turned her head away from the Uchiha. Yamato was already closing the door and Shikamaru was leaning against a shadow, too lazy to walk to a wall. Sasuke looked to the broken chair on the other side of the desk and turned to Shikamaru.

"Tsunade wasn't going to wake up on her own." The genius shrugged his shoulders. Sasuke seemed to take this as an acceptable excuse, remaining exactly where he stopped once inside the room. Their eyes met for a few long seconds, Sasuke silently asking if he knew and Shikamaru nodding before rolling his eyes in confirmation. Great, Sasuke thought. Who all knew now?

"We don't need to interrogate him, the little shit told us everything that we needed to know about Kyuubi and the seals." Tsunade groaned. "Just keep them all locked in isolation for a few days while you calm the village down." Shikamaru sighed as Sasuke blinked in agitation.

"So why did I come down here?" Sasuke asked. He watched the drunken Hokage look back over to him, grin sloppily and close her eyes.

"For the sake of appearances 'n to fool 'em in this chaos." The Hokage grumbled. "Friggin' elder spies." Shikamaru finally stood up and moved to open the cell door.

"C'mon Sasuke, I'll get Yamato to take you back to the isolation cells." The lazy genius opened the door and stepped out, calling out for Yamato to come back. Sasuke glared at the drunken Hokage who completely ignored him.

* * *

**July 23rd, the eleventh week**

"Ahh! Yes! Freedom at last!" Naruto cried out as all six people stepped out of the Hokage tower. The blue-eyed blonde looked over to his counterparts with a goofy grin on his face. Kyoko was breathing deeply, staring up at the cloud filled sky with a relieved expression. Kakashi looked like he always looked like, Yamato was out of the anbu uniform and back to the jonin outfit he was so used to seeing and Sakura aimlessly walked out in front of them all.

When they had been released from the isolation cells they had all been allowed a shower while their clothes were cleaned and brought back to them. It was nice to get out of the dirt and grime that accumulated over five days without proper washing. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blonde's antics but slipped his hand into his lovers' anyway, intertwining their fingers. Naruto looked over to the Uchiha, leaned over as he gripped Sasuke's chin with his free hand gently before turning the dark haired males head and pressing his lips against his pale forehead.

"You were in there for five days Naruto, it couldn't," Sakura paused when she turned around and saw the intimate scene. "Have been that bad." Yamato and Kakashi looked over and behind them, since the lovers had stopped walking and they had still continued to on. Naruto slowly pulled away from the tender gesture, opening his eyes to a light blush on Sasuke's cheeks.

"Happy birthday, Teme." Naruto smiled softly and Sasuke looked away, squeezing the blonde's hand tighter. He pulled Naruto forward to catch up with the rest of the group watching them. "Heh, what's everyone looking at?" The blonde asked as he raised his free hand to scratch the back of his head, smiling cheekily.

"You two." Kakashi answered. The group started to walk again with Kyoko picking up her pace to trail behind Sakura as the streets grew more crowded. People saw the group and stared, some even moved out of the groups' way. Sasuke's mood seemed to drop and Naruto let Sasuke's hand go to pull the Uchiha closer, arm over his shoulders.

"It's not you Sasuke, it's me." Naruto murmured. Sasuke crossed his arms and continued walking, refusing to say anything.

"Actually, it's Kyoko they're afraid of." Yamato spoke up. "They're used to you, Naruto. She was something they weren't expecting." The redhead looked back to the four guys with wide eyes.

"W-what?" Kyoko asked nervously. Her green eyes darted around the street nervously.

"But she's more afraid of them than they are of her. She's got sociophobia, fear of society." Sakura butted in. "After living in the wild for so long she doesn't know how to respond to groups of people or even particularly strong willed people." Naruto blinked at the sudden onslaught of information and Sasuke looked down to Kyoko who started to blush and turned her attention to the street.

"It's a good thing she's confined to the compound for a few weeks then." Kakashi brought a hand up to his chin to think about the new information. "She's going to have to get used to being around people slowly." Sasuke looked over to Kakashi with narrowed eyes.

"Explain." The Uchiha commanded. The white haired jonin slipped his hand back inside his pocket again.

"Hokage-sama is making a list of people who will take shifts inside and outside the compound during your confinement. Yamato and I have already been forcefully volunteered for the inside part." Kakashi shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. "Anbu will be watching from the outside all day and night so there will be no sneaking in or out." Sasuke turned his attention towards Yamato and watched him wink before looking away, knowing that they both knew about the pregnancy.

"You don't need to worry about that." Naruto grinned.

"There's too much to do inside the compound for me to worry about leaving it." Sasuke replied. Everyone turned their heads to the quiet redhead, watching her raise her shoulders higher and ears turning a deep red.

"I-I'm not-" Kyoko started to stutter out.

"See! She's not gonna do anything, we don't need anbu babysitters again!" Naruto blurted out. A large group of women looked up from their place on the side of the street, halting in their conversation to look at the group.

"You don't have anbu babysitters, Naruto." Kakashi spoke up. Sasuke stiffened at the group of women's gazes and tightened his grip on the blonde's arm. "Sasuke and Kyoko do." Naruto glanced over to the Uchiha who didn't return the look.

"Besides, you guys have the whole compound to yourselves. There's no way they could know what you're doing unless you're doing it out in the open near the barrier purposely." Sakura turned around to walk backwards so she could see the people she was looking at.

"She's right." Yamato scratched his cheek as he thought. The group turned a corner and the compound became visible. "As long as you're out of view of the barrier at ground level, they can't see you at all." Sasuke narrowed his eyes by a small fraction and turned his attention to the brown haired jonin.

"How do you know so much about the barrier, Yamato?" Naruto leaned over to look at the jonin on the other side of Sasuke and Kakashi, ignorant of the interest Sasuke had taken it as well.

"I was interested in it during the chaos of after the chuunin exams, no matter what rooftop I was on, I could only see what was happening from the street through the gate." Yamato blinked. "Hokage-sama also wants Kakashi-san to be able to open the barrier since he's never on time."

"Mah, mah, I wouldn't say 'never'." Kakashi rebuked the other man. The group stopped in front of the closed gate, both Naruto and Sasuke hesitating to part from each other's hold.

"More like he's always late." A different voice broke in. Everyone in the group turned to a side of the street to see Iruka walking towards them with a giant paper bag and a smaller plastic bag in his arms. "Something that seems to be rubbing off on me, it seems." The dark skinned male smiled and the scar across his nose tilted upwards at its edges.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cried out in excitement. He pulled away from Sasuke to go running up to the teacher, almost pouncing on him if Sakura hadn't grabbed him by the collar. "What are you doing here?" The excited blonde asked. Iruka shifted the bag in his hands so the blonde would take notice.

"To celebrate Sasuke's birthday of course! It's not everyday one of my students pass the chuunin exams and have their birthday in the same week." Iruka held out the bag and Naruto reached out to grab it. Once Sakura realized the blonde wasn't going to pounce on their academy teacher she let him go with a sigh. Sasuke watched his blonde take the giant brown bag from their teacher, smiling and chatting as if they hadn't been in an isolation cell together for five days. He thought it would irk him more that it actually did. It felt good to see the Dobe being the sociable bubble of energy he always was.

"Hello everyone." Another voice spoke up behind the group. Sasuke tensed again, turning around to see Sai walking up to them with plastic bags in hand. He hated the other male, why was he here? "Did I miss the party?"

"No." Sasuke bit out. "You didn't." He turned back around and stalked to the gate.

"Ah, let me help with that, Sai." Sakura moved out of the Uchiha's way, trying to avoid the topic of Sasuke's dislike for Sai.

* * *

**Several hours later**

Pushing his look-a-like against the barrier that covered the open gateway, Sasuke leaned in close and activated his sharingan. He was beyond pissed. Infuriated.

"Next time you butt into my relationship with Naruto, I won't hold back." Sasuke growled. He slammed his hand down on the seal, the barrier around the gate disappearing. Sai fell backwards onto the street, blinking in confusion. Sasuke let his sharingan fade, still glaring intensely at the other male.

"Ehh, seriously Sai, what did you do this time?" Sakura sighed, exasperated. It had all been good and fun until Sai had started talking to Sasuke. Yamato dazedly came after the pink haired woman, deftly stepping over Sai in his wobbling.

"Probably something stupid." Kakashi shifted a drunk, half asleep Iruka on his back and stopped over the pale skinned male on the ground, nudging him with his foot.

"Happy birthday, Sas-ke." Iruka murmured. The brunette shifted on Kakashi's back and rubbed his face against the white haired man's neck. In response, Kakashi stiffened.

"Thanks for having us." Kakashi didn't look back before jumping up to the nearest roof. Sasuke could bet the white haired jonin was going to make the most out of this opportunity and take advantage of the drunken, lusty teacher.

"You didn't even drink some sake at your own 19th birthday par-" Sai started to say. Sakura stepped up behind the dark haired male and roughly stepped on his head, stopping him mid-sentence.

"Yeah, sorry for the trouble, Sasuke." Sakura smiled, bending over a fraction to bow to her teammate. Sasuke nodded to the girl and resealed the barrier with a slap to the seal. Giving Sai one last heated glare when Sakura's foot came off him, Sasuke closed the gates. Taking his time to cool off, Sasuke walked back to the house he was staying in. It wasn't home just yet but it was close to getting there. He couldn't believe Sai would have the audacity to say what he had said but apparently, he had underestimated the man.

When he stepped back inside the house, Sasuke could hear the puking coming from the hallway bathroom. He looked at the messy table, leftover food, and the half empty bottle of beer and cups of sake all spread out in living room. Then, he proceeded to ignore it, walking down the hallway to find out where the blonde had gone. As he suspected, Naruto was rubbing Kyoko's back as the redhead puked into the toilet bowl, braided hair over her shoulder. The blonde looked up when he heard Sasuke approach and smiled weakly. Leaning against the frame of the doorway, Sasuke raised an eyebrow and looked away. He was still mad about Sai but uninterested in the current situation.

"Ugh, I'm never drinking again." The redhead groaned. She choked, coughed again and started another round of puking. She raised her hand up and shrugged the blonde's hand off of her shoulder.

"Good, you're still underage anyway. You shouldn't have just downed the sake before asking what it was." Naruto berated the girl. Sasuke watched the girl cough and choke for a few more minutes while Naruto continued to rub her back. "So, Iruka was definitely a different drunk than I thought he'd be." The blonde started. He didn't exactly enjoy the awkward silence and obviously he did want to talk about Iruka, who had thrown himself all over Kakashi once he was inebriated.

"Hn." Sasuke answered. It hadn't surprised the Uchiha when Iruka threw himself on Kakashi and kissed him. It was probably a good thing they hadn't had the chance to tell their old school teacher about the pregnancy though because the academy teacher didn't quite know how to stop himself from speaking what was on his mind. The knowledge of the older males sex lives Sasuke could have lived without knowing about.

"Come on, Teme. We can talk about something while we wait." Naruto looked down at the redhead who still had her face so close to the toilet.

"Puh, don't worry about me. I'm gonna find a tree to sleep in tonight once I'm done." Kyoko coughed out between her vomiting spasms. Not really wanting to deal with the girl anymore, Naruto stood up and stepped around Kyoko.

"'Kay, have fun! Shut the door behind you when you leave the house and flush the toilet when you're done!" Naruto turned around to give the redhead one last fleeting look as he grabbed Sasuke's hand and said Uchiha was already walking down the hallway. Following his pregnant lover to their bedroom, Naruto looked back to the mess in the living room and looked to the back of Sasuke's head. Silently, he let the Uchiha lead him to the bed. Slipping under the covers with ease, Sasuke situated himself in the middle of the bed, pulling the blonde's hand up to his chest so that Naruto would be spooning him. Getting comfortable, Naruto licked his lips and opened his mouth to ask a question.

"No, Dobe." Sasuke answered before the blonde could even get a syllable out. Eyes widening in outrage, Naruto pushed himself up on his free forearm and looked down at the Uchiha.

"You didn't know what I was going to ask!" Naruto cried out, exaggeratedly outraged. Sasuke turned his head up to look at the blonde, a knowing expression etched across his feature.

"The living room can wait until morning and I'd rather cuddle than have sex. Any other questions?" Sasuke raised his eyebrow and smirked when Naruto's jaw dropped in disbelief. Closing his mouth, Naruto sighed and smiled. He leaned down and kissed him.

"Yeah, what did Sai say to you to make you mad?" Naruto asked. His lips were still just a hair away from the Uchiha's lips and Sasuke could feel the hot breath against his skin.

"He asked me if I would think about adopting kids so you could be a parent." Sasuke started to frown but the blonde dipped his head down to kiss his lover again. Moving his lips, Sasuke let the blonde kiss away his irritation. When the blue-eyed blonde stopped the kiss, he lowered himself back down onto the bed and nuzzled Sasuke's pale neck.

"I guess we're going to have to tell him at some point." Naruto whispered. Sasuke shifted and squeezed the blonde's hand tighter.

"Just let him find out with the rest of the village. I don't like him in our business." Sasuke muttered. "It's bad enough that Kakashi and Yamato know too."

"Whatever you want, birthday boy." Naruto whispered. The blonde's heart rate was slowing and his breathing growing even. Sasuke listened to it, felt the blonde fall asleep and drifted off into the comforting warmth encompassing him.


	16. House Arrest & Birthday Sex

**July 30th, the twelfth week**

Naruto was smiling at him. Normally that wouldn't have bothered the Uchiha but this smile, this smile was a weird smile. He didn't know what he had done to make the blonde so happy but as he sat in the kitchen, eating his breakfast, Naruto was smiling at him.

"What?" Sasuke asked. Finally fed up with the strange silence, he put down his spoon and sat his elbows against the table. "What are you smiling for?" Naruto's grin grew wider and he looked back down to his own bowl of cereal, stirring the contents of the bowl instead of eating them.

"You're appetite is back." The blonde looked up again, the edges of his eyes wrinkling in pure joy of the fact. Sasuke wrinkled his brow and looked down to his own bowl of cereal. He didn't consider it that big of a deal, he was hungry so he was eating.

"Everyone needs to eat, Dobe." Sasuke muttered and filled his spoon with another mouthful of milky mush.

"Yeah but, the last few weeks you weren't eating as much and I was worried, you know?" Naruto rested an elbow on the table and set his chin in his raised hand, the goofy smile still on his face and Sasuke could feel those bright blue eyes on him.

"And now I'm gaining weight, Dobe. My regular pants are too tight." Sasuke scoffed. Dark eyes glanced up and Naruto was still smiling at him and he looked back down at his bowl again. Naruto sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well you are kinda pregnant, Teme. I wouldn't be surprised." Naruto's shoulders began to move in silent laughter; his smile growing wider and his pearly whites were showing.

"Not funny." Sasuke muttered. He tried to sound angry but Naruto knew he wasn't actually angry and the blonde started to chuckle out loud. Ignoring his lover's laughter, Sasuke continued to eat his soggy cereal. When the blonde finally settled down, started to eat his toast he continued to glance up at the Uchiha. "I'm not going to get any bigger just because you're staring at me, Usuratonkachi." The Uchiha quipped.

"It couldn't hurt to try." Naruto garbled out with his mouth full of toast. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke stood up and took his bowl to the sink to pour out the leftover milk and wash it.

"Hn, idiot." Sasuke told the blonde. "Hurry up and finish, you're going to be late." He could hear Naruto shoving toast into his mouth and then coughing and choking on it. When he put the bowl on the drying rack he turned to see Naruto chug the rest of the milk and slam the cup down on the kitchen table. With a gasping sigh, the blonde stood up and brought his plate and cup over to Sasuke and the sink.

"Are you going to come with me and wait for Kakashi?" Naruto handed the plate and cup to Sasuke who started to rinse them out. The blonde opened a drawer, found a towel and started to dry the bowl on the drying rack. "Or is he not going to show up like last time?" Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and continued to clean the dishes. Silently, they cleaned and dried the dishes and when they were done, Sasuke watched Naruto run back to their bedroom to grab his jacket and headband.

"I'll see you off." Sasuke told the blonde when he came back with his stuff in hand. Naruto smiled and Sasuke made his way to the door, the other male right behind him. Naruto closed the door behind him as Sasuke stepped out into the street, turning around once it clicked shut and ran to catch up with the Uchiha.

"So…do you know if you're gonna get a ceremony for passing the chuunin exams?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and kept walking. Naruto seemed satisfied with the lack of an answer, preferring to slip his hand into Sasuke's grip.

"There really wouldn't be a point in having a ceremony, no dignitaries to show off too." Sasuke said. He looked over to the blonde as they turned a corner, walking onto another street that led to the compounds entrance.

"I guess so," Naruto looked around the empty buildings lining the street and then looked up to the rooftops. "Do you think Kyoko tried to get into another house to use the bathroom again? I haven't seen her around yet." Sasuke's memory flashed, after hearing the terrified girls' screams the second night she was in the compound, Naruto and he had found the girl stuck in a booby trap in one of the shops.

"She's probably in a garden still sleeping, Dobe." Sasuke looked up at the sky and wondered how long it would take him to start hearing her screaming if she had gotten stuck in another trap.

"Is she going to stay outside every night?" Naruto asked. They were in sight of the gate now; Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and continued walking. When they stopped in front of the gate, Naruto slipped his hand out of Sasuke's grasp and gripped the Uchiha by his waist.

"She's free to do whatever she wants, Kyoko's just too scared of anything she might find to actually want to look." Sasuke muttered. He raised his head to look up the few inches into blonde eyes.

"You can ask her to help you clean, as long as you lead, she'll follow. I'd almost say she's in love with you." Naruto grinned. He leaned down and kissed Sasuke softly. When the blonde pulled away, Sasuke snorted and let his fingers wandered until he found both sides of the orange jacket's zipper.

"More of she feels in my debt and will do anything to help me." Sasuke muttered and leaned up for another kiss.

"Even better, at least I don't have any competition." Naruto murmured through pressed lips. Sasuke pulled away, leaning his forehead against the blondes. Rolling his eyes and playing with the zipper until it latched, Sasuke let Naruto place a short peck against his lips.

"You don't but I do." Sasuke snorted. Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise, silently asking what he was talking about. "You can't tell? Sai thinks he can be a better lover than me." The Uchiha frowned as Naruto finally started to understand why Sasuke hated his replacement so much.

"Sai?" Naruto asked incredulously. "The man can't find enough emotion to really smile, why would he want to be with me?" Sasuke sighed softly. He pulled the zipper of the jacket up until it was completely zipped before letting his hand trail down the blonde's clothed chest.

"Because, Dobe, you made him feel something." Naruto's grip on his waist tightened.

"I don't care about Sai, I just want you." The blonde's voice in his ear was soft, making Sasuke's chest tighten. Pushing Naruto away, Sasuke moved to open the gate. He knew the blonde was smiling at him and he felt his ears grow hot.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered. He opened only one side of the gate and glanced outside. Yamato and Kakashi were both standing outside, both of their attention turning to the opening door.

"Are you going to do what Obaa-san wants?" Naruto suddenly spoke up. Sasuke glanced back to the blonde before stepping over to the seal.

"I don't really have choice. I'm not going to wait for Kakashi to show up anymore." Sasuke pressed his hand against the seal and felt the tingling sensation as he unsealed the gate.

"Kakashi, what you doing here? You're four hours early!" Naruto joked. He stepped out of the compound as the white haired ninja moved forward, hands in his pockets and looking more sullen than usual.

"Hokage-sama ordered me to bring him here so he wouldn't be late today. I had to go to Iruka-san's house to find him." Yamato answered for the sullen jonin. Naruto patted the white haired man's shoulder as they passed.

"I appreciate the effort." Sasuke told Yamato. Naruto turned around to wave goodbye to the two inside the compound and Sasuke gave the blonde a half quirked smile as he pressed his palm against the seal again.

"I need to invest in one of these barriers." Kakashi mumbled absentmindedly. The blonde's figure became blurry as the seal reactivated and the Uchiha glanced to his old sensei. "Did you notice?" Kakashi asked. He turned around to look at the blurred image of the outside world. "No anbu guard today, I don't think you'll be under house arrest for much longer." Shutting the main gate, Sasuke silently thought about it and decided he didn't care. There was too much to clean in the compound; he didn't have time for villagers or missions.

"Hn." Sasuke responded. Silently, both men strode down multiple streets, Sasuke leading Kakashi to the courtyard he had taken Naruto to the first day they had moved into the compound. When Sasuke had come here before he had ignored the overall unkemptness of it, weeds had grown over stonewalls before dying, leaving their dead vines to cling to the rock.

A tree had withered and died, it's bark petrifying a corner. Sasuke hadn't thought about it before but with the barrier up there was no way for rain or wind to get into the compound. Nothing had changed from the last time he had entered the courtyard but the figure sleeping on top of the wall had not been there before. Kakashi noticed the other presence and stared up at her. Changing his stance, the white haired jonin flung a kunai, striking into the stone and lodging the weapon halfway into the top half of the stone, inches from the redhead's body. The girl hardly stirred.

"No wonder she didn't pass the chuunin exams." Kakashi murmured. Sasuke looked away from the sleeping girl above them and moved to the center of the courtyard, finding the center of it before digging the gravel up and out of the way of the glass covering.

"Just let a drop of blood hit the seal, there," Sasuke pointed to the tiny part of the black inked seal before he lifted the circular glass up. "And you'll be able to come and go as you please." Kakashi stepped closer to Sasuke, peering down at the small opening.

"What do I do when the Hokage takes me off babysitting duty?" He looked up to Sasuke who pulled his own kunai from a pocket of his pants and held it out to the older man, pommel first.

"Another drop of your blood on the seal, it locks you out again." Sasuke answered. Kakashi's one visible eye blinked as he took the kunai from the younger male's grasp.

"That's rather simple, I was expecting it to be a lot more complicated." Kakashi held out his hand before bending down to the ground. Carefully, he cut the tip of his pinky finger and watched as a drop of blood dripped into the shallow hole in the ground.

"The seal itself is complicated, it was made for easy access to those who knew about it." Sasuke placed the glass over the seal again and pushed gravel over it with his feet. Kakashi had stood back up and squeezed his pinky finger against his thumb to stop the blood flow. The white haired man walked towards the sleeping girl and jumped up on top of the wall.

Sasuke turned his attention to his old sensei, his hand reaching up to his stomach to rub it absentmindedly. The jonin stepped up to the redhead's feet and stared at her with no response. If it had been Sasuke in Kyoko's place he would have been awake by now and Naruto would have at least shifted in his sleep. Finally fed up with the redhead's lack of response, Kakashi nudged the girl's bare feet with his foot. The girl snorted in her sleep and turned her head. Deeming this insufficient, Kakashi shoved the girls' feet off the side of the wall with his foot and watched what the girl did.

Kyoko's body lurched sideways and then backwards as she woke at the feeling of falling. "Waah!" The redhead cried out. She tried to catch hold of something with her arms but she flailed them wildly without success. Toppling over herself, Kyoko landed on the upper half of her spine and neck, her lower body collapsing onto the ground quickly after. "…Ow." The redhead muttered quietly. Her green eyes were just barely open as she sat up. She started to survey her surroundings and yawned, slow to wake up.

"Do you have your mask still?" Sasuke asked. He dropped his hand from his stomach and slipped both of his into his pockets. Kyoko looked over to him and raised her hands to rub her eyes as if she were still a child. "We're going to start on the next house today and clean all the dust out."

"Mhmm," Kyoko hummed. She got to her hands and knees before she stood up and stretched, her clothes full of dirt and the armpits of her shirt were slowly turning yellow from sweat.

"You need to shower." Kakashi jumped down from the wall and landed next to the redhead only to have the girl shriek in surprise before backing away from the white haired man. "You stink." The jonin continued as if the girl had not freaked out.

"Stop scaring me!" Kyoko screeched. Her eyes were wide and body tense, as if someone else was going to jump out at her.

"Then stop being such a crappy ninja, child." Kakashi retorted. Growing tired with the topic of conversation, he pulled out his Icha Icha Paradise book. Kyoko seemed to take offense to the jonin's remark and barked out a response

"My name is Kyoko and how am I supposed to do that?" She glared at Kakashi but it was Sasuke who answered her.

"By becoming a better one."

* * *

**July 31st, still the twelfth week**

"Your body is responding well. I can feel it right here, just below your abdomen." Sakura pressed down again, just above Sasuke's crotch to show the Uchiha what she was talking about. Sasuke raised his head from the bed and swatted Sakura's hand away from his lower abdomen before rubbing the area softly.

"Anything else?" Sasuke asked. Sakura shook her head and moved to close up her bag on the other side of the bed. The Uchiha sat up, swinging his legs to the floor and pulled down his shirt. Since everyone who was in the compound knew about the pregnancy, he had started to wear his sleeveless shirts again and was glad to do so. The only thing was when he looked down to his left, he could see the seal and it felt almost strange to see it.

"No, just make sure you get enough exercise everyday. If your feet start to get cold you need to massage them to get the blood flowing again, Naruto can do it for you if you'd like." Sakura closed her bag and picked it up as Sasuke moved to open the bedroom door.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered. The Uchiha opened the door and let Sakura pass him into the hallway. Sakura looked back to him, half amused and half concerned.

"I'd thought you'd be more excited to have Naruto waiting on your every whim." Sakura pointed out. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and shook his head just a fraction.

"He'd turn it into a reason for trying to get intimate." Sasuke muttered. Sakura turned to the Uchiha as they stopped in the middle of the hallway, looking mildly concerned.

"Are you guys fighting?" The pinkette asked. Sasuke shook his head.

"No, I just don't feel like." Sasuke trailed off. To Sasuke's surprise, Sakura smiled and turned back around. She continued walking until they reached the living room, Sasuke following her.

"Doing _it_? You're appetite for that will probably return in a week or so, it's been noted in multiple studies." Sakura told him. They both glanced around the living room, noticing the blonde lounging on the sofa, Kakashi leaning against the kitchen doorway and the redhead sitting behind the coffee table, facing Sasuke and Sakura.

"Everything okay?" Naruto asked. The blonde gave his teammates a hopeful smile as Sakura nodded her head.

"All finished then?" Kakashi shifted his position but was still leaning on the doorway.

"Almost, I'm going to need her signature before I leave, for the genin list." Sakura nodded to the redhead. Kyoko looked up from fiddling her thumbs in surprise. Before the redhead could ask a question, Sakura had pulled a slip of paper and pen from her pocket and moved to kneel down next to the other girl.

"Um…I didn't get much schooling up in the mountain." Kyoko hesitantly spoke. Sakura just pushed the pen into the redhead's hand and waved off the girl's worries.

"Don't worry about it, we just need your signature to confirm your acceptance of your genin rank." Sakura stood up and smiled at Naruto. Sasuke moved to sit on the couch, Naruto lifting his feet and sitting up to make room for him. Kyoko bit her lower lip nervously and placed the pen on the paper. Slowly, she wrote out her name and the rest patiently waited for her to finish, silently. Growing tired of waiting; Kakashi stepped forward and looked over her shoulder as she wrote.

"Apricot tree?" The white haired jonin spoke out loud. Kyoko dropped the pen as Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke all leaned forward in varying degrees to see what the girl had written.

"You're name is spelled the same as 'apricot tree'? Did your parents want you to get picked on or something?" Naruto asked. The redhead's face turned bright pink as she picked up the paper and shoved into Sakura's hands before abruptly standing up.

"I'm going to go outside, I need to train." She blurted out and practically ran from the room.

"Well that's a strange way to spell her name." Sakura looked over to the blonde who shrugged.

"Well at least I'll be able to remember her name now." Kakashi spoke up. His students all turned to look at him. "Apricot."

* * *

**August 6th, the thirteenth week**

He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to wake up hard. It had been weeks since the last time he had had morning wood. With Naruto's body pressed against him, warmth radiating around him and said blonde's own clothed erection pressing against his ass cheeks, it was easy to remember the feeling. Sasuke opened his eyes before blinking, then blinked once more. The sun was already up and peeking through the window shades. His brain slowly pulled the pieces of his situation together and after a whole minute of relaxing, Sasuke realized he had two options.

He could go to the bathroom and take care of it himself, or he could wake the blonde up to help him. Now that was a dilemma. Smiling at his sarcasm, Sasuke gently pried Naruto's hands off his waist and slipped out of the bed. Standing up long enough to open a dresser drawer and pull out a newly opened bottle of lube, Sasuke retreated back under the duvet he and the blonde had been sharing. Now Sasuke found himself in another dilemma, in the few short seconds it had taken for him to leave the bed, Naruto had reached up to cling to the pillow. Following his upper body's reach, the blonde's whole body had turned so that he lay on his stomach.

He could have rolled Naruto back over, rudely waking him in the process but Sasuke didn't want to seem desperate. Instead, he crawled on top of the blonde and pressed his body down against Naruto's back. He dropped the lube next to the pillow and retracted his hand. Pressing his lips down in the crook between Naruto's shoulder and collarbone, Sasuke trailed his lips up the blonde's neck to his ear. Naruto's breathing changed, growing deeper and more through his mouth than his nose. Taking it a step further, Sasuke licked the outer shell of Naruto's ear before biting down on the cartilage gently.

"Mmmh." The blonde below him attempted to stretch out but with Sasuke on top of him he didn't get very far before opening his eyes and yawning loudly. Turning his head over to look at the Uchiha. "Good morning." Naruto murmured. He attempted to turn over to kiss the man on top of him but Sasuke rolled over with him so that they were lying side by side.

"Morning." Sasuke responded. Naruto closed his eyes and puckered his lips childishly. Snorting softly, Sasuke met the blonde's lips chastely. Naruto broke the kiss first, stretching out on the bed languidly. Unsatisfied, Sasuke moved back on top of the blonde and licked Naruto's lips before kissing him again.

Their lips moved against each others easily, Naruto unwilling to put too much effort into it and Sasuke pushing their pace as far as he could go. Managing to get his tongue past pink lips, Sasuke coaxed Naruto's tongue to join in. Growing excited, Sasuke ground his lower body down against the man below him. Groaning, Naruto pushed Sasuke's tongue out of his mouth and brought his hands up to the Uchiha's shoulder's to push the other male away.

"Hm, Sasuke, don't tease me. I won't be able to hold myself back if you keep this up." Naruto murmured with a chuckle. Sasuke blinked and shrugged the blonde's hands off his shoulders and leaned back down to press his lips against Naruto's again.

"What," Sasuke lifted his lips away long enough to say a word before pressing them down again. "If," he started to grin and watched as Naruto stared at his lips. "I don't," Blue eyes lifted to Sasuke's in shock. "Want you to hold back?" Sasuke didn't get another chance to place another kiss on the blonde's lips, Naruto was rolling both of them over and a giant grin on his face.

"I'd be curious," Naruto tried to keep the grin off his face but was failing miserably. "As too why you suddenly want to have sex after weeks of not wanting to." Sasuke ground his hips up and raised an eyebrow, making sure Naruto understood what he was feeling. Naruto blinked and looked down between their bodies; making sure he was indeed feeling Sasuke's half hard member through his boxers.

"Well, if you'd read the books we got, you'd know why." Sasuke whispered. Naruto rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the preposterous idea of reading any more books than he already had.

"I'll read them later." Naruto happily responded. He leaned back down kissed Sasuke deeply. Their tongues danced together and Sasuke could feel the blonde's hands running down his sides and he arched his back appreciatively.

"Dobe." Sasuke muttered when Naruto pulled away for air. Of course the blonde would give up after finding out he needed to learn something when he could be having sex.

"Teme, I do believe I owe you birthday sex." Naruto raised his eyebrows suggestively. Sasuke chuckled and rolled them both back over so he was on top and sat up, pressing their erections closer together. "We hardly got a moment alone together on your birthday."

"Really?" He asked. Naruto's breath hitched when Sasuke ground his lower body down and nodded. "So does that mean we can do it anyway I want it?" The blonde nodded again and Sasuke moved to get off the bed. Naruto sat up, watching his lover slip off his boxers and motioned for the blonde to do the same. Sasuke watched Naruto wriggle out of his own boxers and sit up on the bed.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Naruto asked with a grin. Turning around to show his semi-hard erection, Sasuke sat down next to him and looked from Naruto's bright blue eyes to his manhood.

"Love me." Sasuke answered. Naruto grinned. He grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and pulled him on top of him. Sasuke could feel the blonde's hands slip down his back and grip his buttocks as he descended into another heated kiss. Raising his arm over the pillow to find the lube, Sasuke lowered his other hand to the blonde's tan chest and pinched his nipple. Naruto inhaled sharply through his nose and gripped Sasuke's ass cheeks tighter. Sasuke smirked into the kiss, his pale fingers gripping the bottle of lube and he tapped it against the blonde's head.

"Mmmh, what's this?" Naruto murmured. He reached up with one hand and took the bottle from Sasuke, raising it up to see what he had in his hand. "Lube, you sneaky bastard." The blonde grinned and removed his other hand, toying with the cap to the bottle as Sasuke lowered his head down to a tan neck to suck on.

"I wasn't going to waste time in getting it in the heat of the moment." Sasuke whispered into Naruto's neck. He rubbed the pad of his finger against the hardening nub, hearing the blonde uncap the lube with a loud 'pop'. Sasuke bit down on tan skin and listened to the man below him whine.

"Don't bite me." Naruto complained. He brought one of his hands down on Sasuke's ass cheek and the Uchiha jumped. Their erections ground against each other, Sasuke's ass cheek jiggling against the blonde's tan hand. Shivers ran down Sasuke's spine and he lifted his head up to sternly look at his partner.

"It's my birthday sex, Usuratonkachi, so don't spank me." Sasuke told the blonde. Naruto grimaced but nodded all the same. In an attempt for an apology, he massaged the skin he had slapped and lowered his head for a kiss, which the Uchiha gladly accepted.

Sasuke could feel Naruto's hand leave his body and he pinched Naruto's nipple again, smirking into the kiss when the blonde moaned and jerked his body upwards. Their erections pressed up against each other and Sasuke couldn't stand it anymore. Lowering his other hand down to their crotches, Sasuke slipped his hand between their bodies and gripped both cocks in his hand. Naruto lifted his head, broke the kiss and moaned. Sasuke lowered his head and bit down on the blonde's collarbone again. This time it was to stop him from crying out and ejaculating.

"Hah, aah. Can you please stop biting me?" Naruto asked. "How do you like it?" He brought his hand back down to Sasuke's ass cheek, his neck muscles tightening as he lifted his head and bit down on Sasuke's shoulder that was sporting the seal. Squirming, Sasuke held back a moan and released Naruto's collarbone from his mouth, the Uchiha wrapped his lips around the fading bite marks and sucked on the skin.

Sasuke could feel Naruto's fingers prod at his entrance slowly, slick with lube. Pushing the blonde's teeth away with his head, catching the blonde's open mouth in a kiss. The blonde's lower body rose up against him, his hand gripping his buttocks as best he could with three lubed fingers. He moaned again, dropped the tube off the side of the bed and it clattered to the wooden floor noisily.

"Uuuh, like that's really better." Naruto muttered when they broke the kiss. Sasuke grinned and slid his hand down against pressed erections; the blonde retaliated and pressed a finger down against his asshole again. Lowering his head, Sasuke gripped Naruto's side with his hand and sucked on the hardened nipple he had been toying with. Naruto's finger slipped inside of him, wiggling around in search for his prostate. Squeezing and loosening his grip on their cocks randomly, Naruto continued to shift and slipped a second finger inside of the Uchiha.

"Do you really enjoy teasing me this much?" Naruto moaned. Sasuke nipped the hardened nub with his teeth and looked up long enough to answer.

"Yes." Sasuke moved to the other nipple and licked it. He smirked when Naruto pressed his two fingers so deep inside of him that Sasuke could feel the base of the blonde's hand against his ass muscles.

Kissing the pink skin, Sasuke tightened his grip on their erections and bit down on the nipple roughly, breaking skin and tasting blood. Naruto cried out and tensed his entire body, fingers inside of his lover curling. Sasuke smirked at the reaction and watched as the skin repaired itself before his very eyes. He waited for Naruto to calm down and regain control of his breathing before he sucked on the hardening nipple.

"Crap, Teme, you're gonna be the death of me." Naruto gasped out. He made a scissoring motion with his two fingers before he pushed in a third. Sasuke pulled the nipple in his mouth up with him, still sucking and let it slip out of his mouth with a loud sucking sound.

"Hurry up then, I don't want to wait any longer." Sasuke pushed back against the fingers inside of him. In retaliation, Naruto pressed his fingers against the Uchiha's prostate and felt the man on top of him squirm.

"We'll you're prepped enough, what position do you want to do?" The blonde asked. Sasuke sat up, relinquishing his grip on their lengths and forced Naruto to pull his fingers out of him. Thinking that Sasuke wanted to do all the work himself, Naruto grinned and set one of his hands behind his head, his other hand falling to his stomach. Sasuke reached out and snagged that hand, pulling the blonde into a sitting position.

"I want to do it like this." Sasuke smirked as the blonde's happy expression turned into one of dismay.

"You're going to make me hold you up? That's not fair." Naruto pouted. Sasuke wrapped his legs around the blonde's waist and slipped his hand up Naruto's arm and over his shoulder.

"Don't be a baby, we haven't done this position in ages." Sasuke slipped his other hand over Naruto's shoulder and leaned in close to give him a kiss. Naruto leaned into the kiss as he reached down to grip Sasuke by the seat of his ass. Opening his lips, Sasuke ran his tongue over Naruto's lips and begged for entrance.

Naruto was more than happy to open his mouth up to the Uchiha as his three fingers slipped inside the said male again. Sasuke grunted and wriggled his hips unappreciatively. Taking advantage of the Uchiha's unhappiness, Naruto pushed his tongue inside Sasuke's mouth. Raising one of his hands to the Uchiha's soft and naturally gravity defying hair, the blonde pressed his mouth against Sasuke's harder. They battled, tongues sliding against each other. Sasuke's hands reached up into the blonde's hair and gripped it tightly. He was breathing heavily through his nose and needed air but the blonde wasn't ready to break the kiss.

"Mmh, uungh." Sasuke moaned out through the kiss, he squeezed his eyes shut as Naruto lifted the Uchiha in his hands, the fingers sliding out of his ass and their erections brushing against each other. He could have focused on what the blonde was doing but the lack of air he was receiving gave him little room to think of anything else. Naruto's hand slipped from Sasuke's ass cheek but the blonde still managed to hold the Uchiha upright.

When Sasuke didn't think he could hold out any longer, he tightened his grip on the blonde's hair and tried to pull him away. Naruto still held Sasuke's mouth to his, lowering the pale body enough to find the entrance and then let go. Sasuke pulled away, gasping for air as Naruto lowered the Uchiha onto himself. Clenching up, Sasuke dropped his head to the blonde's tan shoulder and opened his mouth in a silent cry.

"Relax a little," Naruto grunted. He returned both his hands to Sasuke's ass cheeks. "You're so tight, I can't move or I'll hurt you."

"Nngh," Sasuke gasped out. "Idiot, you surprised me." As soon has he finished talking, he pressed his body close to the blonde's and relaxed as he regained his breath. Slowly, Naruto lowered the dark haired male onto his length and when the Uchiha was fully seated, he raised his hands up the pale skin of Sasuke's back and toyed with strands of the dark hair.

"You okay?" Naruto asked. Sasuke lifted his head, cheeks red from their activities. His black eyes soft with emotion, Naruto watched him nod and the blonde leaned forward. Naruto caught Sasuke's cheek purposefully, waiting for the Uchiha to turn his head and return the kiss. Sasuke did so, a hand in blonde hair sliding down to his tan chest as his tongue danced with it's partner. Naruto lowered his hand from Sasuke's hair to the Uchiha's stomach and pressed against it softly. It was slightly uncomfortable for Sasuke and he frowned into the kiss, gripping the tan wrist with his own hand.

"Don't do that," Sasuke murmured through the kiss. He bit the blonde's lower lip and pulled away from the kiss. "It's uncomfortable."

"Other than that?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded before tightening the grip he had on the blonde's waist with his legs.

"I'm fine, Dobe, go ahead." Sasuke whispered. He pressed his face against Naruto's cheek and inhaled sharply. With that, Naruto placed both his hands on Sasuke's waist and lifted the Uchiha off of his length long enough to thrust into him, starting off a slow, deep pace. At first Sasuke bit his lower lip and made a grunting sound every time Naruto hit his prostate but as Naruto picked up his pace, Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and started to gasp with every downwards thrust.

"Aah! Fa-ster!" Sasuke called out. Naruto did as he was told, leaning forward and bouncing the Uchiha in his lap faster.

"Ah-argh!" Naruto bit out. "I'm going to get a cramp if I keep this up." Sasuke leaned backwards, far enough to press his lips to Naruto's. He raised his own hips and started his own pace, the blonde returning the kiss gratefully.

They fell into a rhythm. When one got tired, the other would take over and this went on for what both would describe as forever. Sweat beaded on their skin and their breathing grew heavy when their lips were unattached. Sasuke could feel pleasure coursing through his veins and his length was aching to be touched. He pulled away from a kiss, Naruto's tongue slipping from his mouth as he cried out. Sasuke had been immersed in the pleasure, his entire body on fire with it. He hadn't realized how close he was to his climax until it was just about to peak.

"Naruto, clo-ose." Sasuke clawed at the blonde's back as he tried to stave off his ejaculation, his expression contorting into one of pain as the pleasure became too much for him. Naruto's grip on his waist tightened painfully and the blonde's entire body moved with his thrusts, leaving Sasuke to helplessly cling to whatever he could grip as his body was repeatedly thrown into the air and brought back down onto Naruto's length.

"Sas-hold, on." Naruto grunted out. He was almost completely on his knees now, using Sasuke's continuously moving weight to keep him standing. The Uchiha managed to get a grip on his hair and pulled on it painfully, bringing his upper body flush against the blonde's.

"Nu-oh!" Sasuke cried out. "Ah, can't!" The Uchiha tilted his head back just enough to give him room and smashed his lips against Naruto's. Naruto grunted into Sasuke's mouth, tongue darting in and out spastically as he tried to keep his pace steady, keep the Uchiha from falling, kissing the needy male in his arms and trying to stop himself from climaxing. Sasuke didn't seem to care about the divided attention his mouth was receiving and he plunged his tongue into the blonde's orifice. Practically sticking his tongue down Naruto's throat, Sasuke didn't care; he just needed to do something with his mouth to keep him from crying out.

"Hg-nng!" Sasuke tried to force Naruto's head closer than it already was and tensed his entire body. He couldn't hold back anymore and came, pleasure ripping through his body as he was dropped back down onto the blonde's lap.

Simultaneously, Naruto had reached his own climax and nearly dropped Sasuke in the midst of it. He fell to his ass and rocked back and forth with the Uchiha in his lap. His tongue was pressed against Sasuke's in a kiss that was more of breathing into each other's mouths as they rode out their orgasms together. Sasuke's fingers relaxed in Naruto's hair and slipped out, trailing down the blonde's tan back to feel the reddened skin as it healed from breaking during the frenzy. Moving his lips to retract his tongue from the blonde's mouth, Sasuke opened his eyes and shifted, feeling Naruto's essence inside of him. Naruto pulled away from the kiss and blinked, surprised by the obsidian depths staring back at him.

"That was, intense." Naruto breathed. He blinked again and licked his reddened lips, his breathing slowing to a normal pace. "I don't think morning sex has ever been that great." Sasuke raised an eyebrow and quirked his lips up in a smirk.

"It wasn't just morning sex, Dobe." Sasuke kissed the blonde on the lips and languidly moved his lips against Naruto's. "It was birthday sex."

"Mmh, right." Naruto murmured into the kiss and raised his eyebrows as he closed his eyes. Leaning backwards, Naruto lowered himself onto the bed, Sasuke on top of him. "It was really good birthday sex too."

Sasuke smirked and felt Naruto's softening length slip from him. The blonde felt it too and sighed, breaking the kiss with it. They laid there in silence, Naruto's arms wrapped around the Uchiha's waist and Sasuke's head nestled in the crook of the blonde's neck. For every minute that ticked by, Sasuke shifted. After at least what must have been a century, Naruto looked down at the Uchiha's head. "Are you okay? You keep moving." Sasuke huffed indignantly and shifted again.

"It's the baby, it feels weird having something press against my stomach." The Uchiha spoke quietly. They fell into another silence, Sasuke shifting every now and then when it got too uncomfortable for him.

"Apricot isn't going to walk in on us anytime soon, right?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shook his head.

"She's probably still sleeping out in that training field…and she has a real name." The Uchiha muttered. "If you keep calling her that it's going to catch on with the rest of the village." He could feel Naruto's cum slowly leaking from his entrance but still wanted to relax in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

"Relax Sasuke, you and her are still under house arrest, the only people who call her that is me, Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-san." Naruto smiled when Sasuke sighed. "Why do you care about what Kakashi-sensei calls her anyway?" The blonde suddenly asked. Again, Sasuke sighed, lifting his head to look directly at Naruto.

"Usuratonkachi, I have to deal with her every day. She complains about it constantly." Naruto grinned at the statement, blue eyes bright with delight.

"Doesn't she complain that she can't become a better ninja when you keep making her help you clean out houses too?" Naruto watched Sasuke frown and shook his head before raising his hand to the blonde's chin, caressing the smooth skin.

"I told Kakashi that if she wasn't going to help me clean then I'd make him do it. That's when Kakashi follows her around and tells her how bad she is as a ninja." Sasuke lowered his gaze to Naruto's lips, which had returned to their normal pink color, and ran his thumb over them. Naruto chuckled, his chest pulsating underneath Sasuke's as the thrum of it echoed in Sasuke's stomach.

"He would annoy her rather than do actual work." Naruto saw Sasuke's eyes dart down to his mouth and raised his head high enough to press them against the Uchiha's own bright red, bruised lips. The kiss was chaste, their lips pressing against each other's softly for a moment. Both had closed their eyes as Naruto's grip on Sasuke's waist tightened. When they broke away Sasuke licked his lips and shifted, intent on getting off the blonde. Naruto reluctantly let his hands fall from their position and watched Sasuke smoothly slid off the bed. The blonde's eyes trailed over the Uchiha's body and Sasuke watched him frown.

"I was too rough." Naruto moved to follow Sasuke and ran his hand down the pale skin of his lover's side. Sasuke looked down to his own body to see red marks where the blonde had held him up, a small ripple of irritation ruptured across his senses when Naruto's fingers brushed against them.

"It's doesn't hurt, Dobe." Sasuke caught Naruto's hand and held it, intertwining their fingers together. "The most it's going to do is bruise for a few days." Sasuke's reassurances barely had an effect on the blonde who continued to stare at the marks with a frown on his face. "If you want to make it up to me, you'll get in the shower with me."

Naruto's expression softened and he looked up from Sasuke's waist to smile softly, a twinkle of mischievousness glinting in the light. "And if I don't?" The blonde asked. Sasuke pulled Naruto by his hand off the bed and leaned in close to the other male.

"Then I'll make you." Naruto grinned at the Uchiha and brought their intertwined hands up to his lips, kissing the back of Sasuke's palm gently.

"I can't argue with that logic." The blonde told Sasuke. Smirking, Sasuke pulled Naruto into their bathroom, Naruto shutting the door behind them.


	17. Spoil Me

**August 15th, the fourteenth week**

"You handled the situation like a child!" Koharu Utatane hissed. "You were intoxicated and didn't even interrogate the Kyuubi container!" Tsunade raised an eyebrow and leaned backwards in her chair, staring at the two elders.

"Oh but I did, just not Naruto." Tsunade dropped her eyebrow and glared at the two elders. "Naruto had nothing to do with the situation."

"He was what caused the entire situation in the first place!" Homura Mitokado cried.

"Kyoko Suzuki was the one who lost control of her part of Kyuubi in the arena. Sasuke managed to replicate Naruto's seal and Naruto was unconscious most of that time." Tsunade replied, obviously fed up with this argument.

"And who do you think got the scrolls for the Uchiha to even know how to replicate seals like the one on the container?" The female elder screamed. She stepped forward, spit flying from her mouth onto the desk in front of her. Tsunade looked down at the flecks of body fluid in mild disgust and rising anger.

"Enough!" Tsunade slammed her hands on her table, glaring at the older woman. The older woman's expression faltered for a second, her face sagging with wrinkles and hair loose enough for it to have a wave at the base of her hairline. "What's done is done and I won't have you continuing to make the situation worse than it was. I'm keeping Naruto Uzumaki on duty and ending the house arrest on Sasuke Uchiha and Kyoko Suzuki. Both of the latter will still only be able to take missions inside the village and that is the end of this discussion!"

Koharu Utatane stepped back, her expression molding from shock to smoldering anger. She turned around and stalked out of the office, Homura Mitokado following after her, subdued by the strong wills of both women. Shikamaru opened the door for them, waiting until they were halfway down the hall to straighten up from his bow and walk into the room himself.

"They've got a point, handling the chuunin exam disaster was not your best moment." Shikamaru spoke after he shut the door.

"Shut up, I know." Tsunade barked tiredly. She opened her drawer; looking for the bottle of sake she had placed there just that morning only to find it missing. Shizune must have found it. Sometimes, she hated that woman. Slamming the drawer shut again, she looked back up at Shikamaru and frowned. "Are all the anbu back on duty?" She asked.

"They are." Shikamaru replied and several anbu slipped from their places in the ceiling. There were four of them that kneeled before her desk, waiting to be addressed as the only Jonin in the room joined the line, still standing. "The ones that you trusted during the debacle, minus Yamato."

"What did you find out about the tarp?" Tsunade asked to none of them in particular. She looked at her desk; frowning as she tried to remember which of the drawers she kept her secret hidden stash of alcohol she saved for emergencies when her 'trusted followers' took her regular hidden stash of sake.

"It corroborates what the Uchiha and the Suzuki girl have explained during interrogation." One anbu spoke up. The Hokage didn't look over to them focused on her attempt to remember which drawer it had been.

"But it can only do so much. It's simply a strengthening seal; it can't repair what was broken to begin with." Another anbu continued.

"Meaning?" Tsunade pulled open the drawer and smirked in delight as she popped open the false bottom and slid out a small bottle. Tsunade replaced the false bottom and popped open the lid, smirking at the thought of deceiving Shizune.

"Her seal will weaken with time, her proximity to Naruto and it will break again." Shikamaru summed up. The Jonin sighed and shifted his weight from one foot to another as Tsunade raised the bottle to her lips, taking a quick shot. "Hokage, how long have you been sober?"

"Nearly a damn month." Tsunade replied before taking another shot, shuddering as it went down. "Shizune's been impossible but continue." She set the bottle down and looked at the four anbu and Shikamaru, frowning again.

"Using the tarp won't work every time, Hokage-sama." Shikamaru told her. "Even if Sasuke could find a way to improve on it, it would never be permanent." Tsunade glanced at the anbu; each of them nodded their heads in agreement.

"We'll need to find an alternative way to solve it then. What do you suggest?" Tsunade asked.

"Talk to Sasuke and Naruto, the Suzuki girl too. The elders obviously have some ideas with what should be done but I'm guessing you have no intention of listening to any of them." Shikamaru sighed when the blonde haired woman nodded.

"Remind me to send a letter to the Kazekage as well, he might know something that we don't know about the seal that could be beneficial to be aware of."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Shikamaru nodded his head.

"Get the tarp, we don't have a need for it anymore so we might as well give it back to the Uchiha brat. He's going to need it apparently." Tsunade waved her hand at one of the anbu and he disappeared, through an opening in the ceiling and left, going to retrieve the tarp.

"When are we going to meet with them?" Shikamaru asked.

"Today. I've got nothing else I need to do and Yamato should be lurking around here somewhere." Tsunade stood and when the brunette jonin looked to the stack of papers on her desk she raised an eyebrow questioningly, daring him to say something about it.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed. The anbu moved back to their positions, hidden from view as Tsunade brushed past him, the bottle of sake quickly being stashed down her shirt.

"Come on Shikamaru, before Shizune realizes we're gone." She opened her door and looked out into the hallway cautiously, looking for the dark haired woman. The lazy genius sighed but followed the older woman anyway.

* * *

"D rank missions are boring." Naruto raised his arms above his head, stretching with pride as they followed Sasuke through the compound. "It's B and A rank missions that are exciting, dangerous even." Kyoko skeptically looked up at him and then looked to Sasuke's back. Her gaze caught his attention and turned his head over his bare shoulder, blankly looking back at her. It was August but the weather was hot, humid, and it felt stuffy in the compound and the Uchiha was grateful he could wear sleeveless shirts again.

"But what will I have to do on missions? I'm not on a team or anything." Kyoko asked. She raised her hand up to her red hair and ran it down the braid and spiked strap in it. Sasuke glanced down at the girl's bare feet; her already dirtied, slightly disgusting feet and then raised his gaze upwards. The girl barely had enough clothes to last her a week so they had gone and found her some clothes, which unfortunately had the Uchiha fan on them.

She hadn't put up a fight about wearing the clothes, happy that she didn't need to leave the compound with an anbu escort but the girl wouldn't wear shoes. No matter how much Yamato tried to convince her, or Kakashi teasing her, she wouldn't wear shoes. Apparently, they didn't have shoes up in the mountains or the toads didn't feel the need to get her shoes as she was growing up.

"De-weed gardens, catch cats, any chore a villager would rather pay for than do themselves." Naruto grinned and lowered his hands, sticking them in his pockets. "You've got nothing to worry about, Apricot, you're probably still going to be confined to the village when you're off house arrest."

"But I thought the villagers were scared of me? Because I have Kyuubi inside me." Kyoko nervously looked up to Naruto and then down at her feet when she saw blue eyes looking back at him.

"That's not going to stop Obaa-san from giving you missions. She'll find someone who will have you do work, same as she did for me." Naruto sighed. They turned down a narrow street and stopped in front of a cramped looking apartment complex that covered the whole block.

"Obaa-san?" The red haired girl asked. She moved behind the two older males, looking to each of them in question.

"The Hokage." Sasuke answered for the blonde without glancing to either of them. He didn't know what was in the apartments or if they were even booby-trapped but there was only one way he was going to get through all of them in one day. "Naruto, shadow clones, three dozen of them." The Uchiha spoke curtly.

Sighing in exaggeration, Naruto made the hand signals for the technique and with a chorus of 'poof's, half the street was filled with blondes in black t-shirts and orange cargo pants. Sasuke looked over to the real Naruto and then glanced back to Kyoko, wordlessly expressing his thoughts.

"Hey, Apricot." Naruto turned to grin at the woman as innocently as he could. "Do you want to do us a favor?"

"What?" Kyoko asked hesitantly. Some of the clones moved to the front of the apartment complex, two of them and the real Naruto stayed with them, attempting to hide their grins.

"Kakashi was supposed to show up a couple hours ago and Kakashi might have come to take his shift, would you mind going to check the gate to see if he's there?" Sasuke glanced back to see her blink apprehensively and then look to him. "I'll give you a clone so you won't have to come back and then you could, practice with him." The blonde tried to smile innocently.

"Or just, take a day off if he's, not there?" Kyoko supplied cautiously. One of the clones looked to the real Naruto who nodded and it stepped forward, slipping his corporeal hands into his pants pockets.

"Hn." Sasuke answered her. The clone walked past the redhead, refusing to wait for her as she smiled hesitantly at the two males before turning around and hightailing it out of the narrow street after the clone.

"Well that was easy." Naruto raised a hand to scratch at his head and look to the Uchiha with a gleeful smirk. "She's a lot more docile than before, what have you and Kakashi done to her?" Sasuke turned his head to survey the clones; they had found the main office and had stripped it of its keys to start unlocking the first few apartments on the ground level.

"Kakashi's been filling her head with nonsense." The Uchiha raised his hands, looked over to the blonde. He made a single shadow clone and dropped his hands to his sides. His clone was his twin, the same face, and the same slight pudginess around his middle, the sleeveless white shirt that was zipped up to his sternum, black shorts and black sandals. Sasuke looked himself over, noticing with a little irritation that his ass moved with more feminine grace than masculine.

"Stuff you don't find the need to stop him from saying." Naruto watched the clone stalk off after the thirty-six others, telling them what to do and pinching one of their cheeks when they had something to say.

"He has a point, with most of it." Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, facing Naruto with a calm expression.

"What does he say?" Naruto looked over from their clones to his pregnant Uchiha, looking him over with large, adoring eyes. He moved closer, stepping behind the dark haired male and resting his chin against the seal on Sasuke's bare shoulder.

"That we're a couple," Sasuke tilted his head to the apartment complex as one of Naruto's clones 'poof'ed out of existence as they set off a trap. Naruto winced and shifted his weight as the memory of the trap found its way through the blonde's mind. "And that we have, certain needs even though we're expecting."

"Were those his exacts words or are you just summing it up?" Naruto smiled and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's middle. "You haven't really grown much in the past few weeks," The blonde commented without regard to his previous question. "Is that normal?"

"Probably, I was just gaining weight earlier." Sasuke leaned backwards into the blonde and they both swayed a little, watching themselves invade apartment after apartment, Naruto's clones working in tandem as Sasuke's singular clone went in one by one to survey what was inside.

"I read that this week the baby will be able to pee." Naruto spoke up suddenly. His breath tickled Sasuke's neck but the Uchiha frowned at the information.

"Hn." He muttered. Sasuke leaned farther back and Naruto swayed with him before righting them both again.

"It's true." Naruto pressed his face into the Uchiha's pale neck, gently gripping his wrists to bring them in front of them both. He molded the pale hands to cup air and held them in his own palms softly. "Our little baby is supposed to be the size of a lemon, he could fit into the palms of our hands."

"Or she." Sasuke interjected. Naruto blinked and raised his head in surprise.

"Do you want a girl?" The blonde twisted his body around the Uchiha's side so he could see his lover's expression. They hadn't talked much about the gender of the baby and it was obvious the blonde was curious about what he wanted.

"You'll spoil them regardless of their gender." Sasuke answered noncommittally. Naruto moved in front of Sasuke, his arms still around the Uchiha's waist, holding their bodies close. They stared at each other for a moment, regarding each other quietly and Sasuke had to wonder what the blonde was thinking.

"Spoil me." Naruto demanded suddenly. Sasuke raised his eyebrows in surprise before looking to the blonde's lips, ideas starting to multiply in his mind.

"How?" The Uchiha squashed the urge to lick his lips and press himself closer to Naruto. He let his gaze flicker back up to those clear, azure depths, waiting for an answer.

"Marry me." The blonde stated. Sasuke stilled, he didn't necessarily stiffen but tried to keep himself breathing. He was shocked. There was no way he could have been expecting that, have been prepared for that. Looking away from the blonde, Sasuke started to turn from him, his face still blank.

"You seduce me by telling me our baby will be starting to urinate and then propose? Such a romantic." Sasuke knew his voice sounded hollow as he tried to tease the blonde but he had a hard time believing this was really happening.

"Sasuke," Naruto tightened his grip on the Uchiha's waist, trying to keep him from walking off. "I'm being serious. I want you to marry me." It wasn't easy ignoring the shiver that ripped up Sasuke's spine and the bloom of happiness welling up inside his chest as the bottom of his stomach started to churn.

"I heard you the first time." The Uchiha murmured. He tried to get the blonde to let go of him but Naruto only grabbed his arm and pulled him closer.

"I'm not letting you run away from me." The blonde told him. Naruto's grip was reassuring and confining simultaneously.

"You never do." Sasuke dared to meet the blonde's gaze and regretted it immediately when he saw Naruto's hard stare. "We talked about this." He looked away again, conflicted and frowning.

"Before we decided to have a baby together." Naruto responded immediately. "And this is different, we only ever just talked about marriage. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Sasuke tensed at the end of the blonde's proclamation and clenched his hands into fists but the idiot didn't give him a chance to respond, grabbing one of the Uchiha's pale wrists and brought it up to his chest. "I love you."

That did it. Sasuke unclenched his fist and twisted his wrist to grab Naruto's. In fluid motions, the Uchiha twisted his body so that his back was against the orange clad chest and flipped the blonde over onto the ground over his shoulder. Naruto tried to scramble up but Sasuke grabbed the palm of his hand and held it in a position that promised pain. The blonde stilled, looking up at the Uchiha with desperate blue eyes. He knew Naruto wouldn't fight him, not while he was pregnant and Sasuke started to feel furious.

"I know!" Sasuke hissed out and then suddenly deflated. "I know." Naruto wasn't going to physically fight him and no matter how angry he got, the blonde wouldn't defend himself. There was no way he was going to be able to take his frustration out through fighting, not while he was pregnant. Taking a deep breath, he let go of Naruto's hand and stood up, a hand automatically resting on his abdomen. "You're terrible at broaching subjects, you know that, Dobe?"

"I can't help but be direct," Naruto looked up from the ground, relief evident in his voice. "Will you say yes?" Sasuke wanted to glare, he wanted to smile, fuck, he wanted to pound this idiot's face in and kiss the hell out of him all at the same time.

"Whatever it is, answer him. The suspense is killing me." The Hokage's voice broke through their own little world and they both looked in the direction of her voice, surprised. Tsunade was walking down the middle of the narrow street, arms crossed over her chest with Kakashi, Shikamaru, a nervous Kyoko, and Naruto's clone behind her. "Nice seal, Uchiha." She smirked at them.

"Um," Naruto started immediately. He quickly rolled off his back and stood on next to Sasuke. "Obaa-san, Shikamaru, what are you doing here?" Tsunade smirked widely at them and she punched Naruto's clone hard enough to dispel it. Sasuke glanced over to the blonde as his clone's memories came to him, the flinch from the punch, the surprised blinks and sigh of realization. "You came to talk about Kyoko's seal."

"How'd you-" Kyoko started only to have Kakashi rest one of his hands on her shoulder.

"Looks like we need to teach you as well as train you." The white haired jonin spoke to her without looking at her. Both Sasuke and Naruto watched the red haired girl start blushing. "Why don't we head to their home, I'm sure they'll join us when they're done with, whatever they're doing with their clones."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed and turned around, lazily sauntering away as Kakashi pushed the genin girl after him.

"You too, Kakashi." Tsunade turned around and motioned for the white haired male to follow. "We'll leave them to their troubles, for now." Kakashi smiled at them from under his mask before turning around.

"She's in a, different mood." Naruto muttered quietly, fearing the strong willed woman would hear him as she turned the street's corner.

"Being a little drunk probably helps." Sasuke added. They both looked to each other hesitantly before Naruto smiled and Sasuke looked away, feeling his face heat up.

"So, I'm guessing we're going to have to put this conversation to rest?" The blonde lowered his head, sad that Sasuke hadn't given him an answer.

"I want to talk about it...later." Sasuke reached out and grabbed the blonde's chin to lift it meeting the blonde's gaze again, feeling a little relieved that Naruto didn't seem that upset that he wasn't giving him an answer just yet. Smiling tentatively, the blonde leaned forward and softly kissed Sasuke's lips.

"Okay." Naruto murmured softly. He pulled away and Sasuke dropped his hand from the blonde's chin. "Oi!" The blonde called out to the apartment complex. "Lock everything back up before I dispel you!" They watched as several clones walked out of open apartment, locked the doors and dispelled themselves while several others darted out of a single apartment guiltily.

Sasuke frowned and glanced over to the blonde, wondering if he had other things in mind when he created the clones. Naruto looked back to him sheepishly, memories already coming back to him over thirty times. Taking the matter into his own hands, Sasuke purposely dispelled his clone and immediately started to blush.

* * *

_He had immediately started ordering the multiple clones around, telling them not to touch anything after they unlocked the door and to undo any traps they would find rather than just letting themselves get dispelled. Most of the clones were grinning at him and only a few moved in response to his orders._

" _Hey, hey, Sasuke!" One of the clones came up to him, grinning cheekily. "You're clone has your baby bump, why are you keeping it?" Sasuke felt his clone raise his eyebrow at the blonde clone and reached up to pinch a scarred cheek._

" _I need to get used to it, Usuratonkachi. If I get rid of it as a clone, I'll notice it more when I dispel." Sasuke looked over to the rest of the clones. "Get to work. If we don't finish it today, I'll just make you do it on your next day off, instead of sex." All the clones winced when they heard what the Uchiha had to say and looked to each other cautiously, debating their chances._

" _Work, work, work, Teme. You're going to work me to death!" One of the clones called out as he moved closer to the apartment complex, laughing as other clones called out their agreement. Sasuke had rolled his eyes and turned to watch as one of the clones went door to door, unlocking them with skilled ease. The Uchiha motioned for the Naruto clones to go ahead and check for traps and watched as they did._

" _Sasuke, remember the time I had clones help move us into the compound? That was what, two months ago?" A clone asked as he matched the Uchiha's pace and leaned in close. Glancing over to the blonde, Sasuke felt fingers grazing over his lower back and emotionlessly tilted his head closer to him._

" _It was." Sasuke felt the hand reach his ass and a small burst of pleasure filled his senses as a large hand cupped his crack and started to rub a finger against his pants. He was growing conditioned to some of the blonde's advances and he just wanted to push into the warmth beside him. Damn Naruto, they were clones and he was still getting horny from a simple massage._

" _We never did get to finish." Naruto's clone led the Uchiha into one of the open apartments, slipping his hand further between Sasuke's legs. The clone shifted, widening his gait to make room for the invading hand as blood started to travel south._

" _Idiot, we're cataloging apartments. We can have clone sex later." Sasuke tried to shift the clone's attention away from him and back on the task at hand but the blonde pressed his hand over the Uchiha's balls and cupped them almost roughly._

" _Aw, but then you'd dispel us all if we did something you didn't like." Another Naruto leaned in close to Sasuke, resting his lower body against the wall as a few other clones filled into the main room of the small apartment._

" _I still could dispel you." Sasuke ignored the clone next to him, focusing more on the feeling of entrapment he had in the back of his mind. The clones were planning something and he didn't know if he wanted to let it play out or stop it before Naruto did something he was going to regret._

" _We were hoping you wouldn't though." The clone leaning against the wall straightened himself and reached for the Uchiha's hand, gripping it softly as he brought it up to his lips and kissed pale knuckles. He could feel several other clones moving in closer and quelled the urge to kick a few of them out of existence immediately. He almost wanted to see what the blonde was planning on doing._

" _What are you-" The clone next to him grabbed his other hand as arms encircled his waist and lifted him up. He barely extended his leg to kick when the clones in front of him grabbed his legs, picking him up and carrying the Uchiha deeper into the apartment._

" _I've always wanted to try this but you hardly ever create clones and if it were my clones against the real you, I'd lose in a heartbeat." One of the clones pointed out. Sasuke tried to pull his hands and legs free and when that didn't work, he relaxed his entire body, becoming dead weight._

" _Here, help me hold him." One clone called out and suddenly numerous hands were grabbed at all of his body parts. "Move the table out of the way and we'll have enough room." Another clone called out. Sasuke turned his head, trying to see what was going on in front of him but the clones were blocking most of his view._

" _Let me go, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke looked up to one of two the clones holding his right arm and glared at him._

" _No, that would ruin the fun." The clone grinned down at him as they moved forward again and Sasuke was dropped to the floor, hands still holding onto his wrists and ankles. One of the Naruto's stepped over him and sat down on his chest, grinning. "We're going to spoil you." The blonde pressed his hands down on the Uchiha's chest and started to massage his upper chest._

_Hands were tight around his wrists and ankles, forcing him to remain eagle spread on the floor as more clones surrounded him. Sasuke glared up at the clone above him and tried to jerk his feet free only to have more hands grip his leg and pry off his shoe. Another pair of hands pried off his other shoe and teasingly ran up his leg to the hem of his shorts._

" _Move aside, we need to get his clothes off." One of the Naruto pushed the Naruto on top of Sasuke's shoulder and the clone moved almost unwillingly, letting his fingers frag across the Uchiha's chest. Looking down, Sasuke watched another clone grab the button of his pants as another clone pulled a kunai out of his pouch._

" _How exactly is this spoiling me?" Sasuke calmly asked. The clone holding the kunai paused, their eyes meeting before the blonde looked up to his clones and then focused on ripping his black shorts up. His hands were raised from the floor, still in a tight grip and Sasuke looked to one of them as pink lips parts and wrapped around his thumb._

_A mouth was sucking on his thumb and then a tongue started lapping at the palm of his other hand. Sasuke jerked his head to the other clone and stared at the pink tongue that was wrapping around his fingers. He could feel his length twitch at the wet sensations and started to wonder when he found this erotic._

_There was the distinct sound of his pants being ripped apart and then there was a breeze on his thigh. As soon as his leg was free from his pants, the clones lifted his leg and several clones pressed their mouths to his calf and foot. A rush of pleasurable chills went straight to his groin and he shifted, flexing his toes away from the offending mouths._

" _Ah, ah, ah." A clone called out teasingly. The rest of his shorts and underwear were torn, leaving him naked and vulnerable to the dozen clones above him. "We know you're really sensitive, Sasuke. You can't hide it from us." The clone with the kunai reached up to his jacket like shirt and pulled the zipper down, undoing it and reaching for his sleeves._

" _We know your most sensitive spots, what makes you really squirm." Sasuke listened to a clone murmur in his ear as his other leg was raised to their mouths. The sleeves of his shirt were ripped apart, Sasuke could tell by the way two or three hands rubbed his heated skin, lips placing gentle kisses on his collarbone._

" _You can try, idiots." The Uchiha tried to sound unimpressed but tongues were working on his skin, licking, sucking, and nibbling as more of them joined in. They were moving up his limbs, still gripping his ankles and wrists tightly to keep him from jerking away. One of them was worshipping his fingers, sucking on his digits, wrapping his tongue around Sasuke's knuckles._

" _You're always so cocky, even when I've got the upper hand." A clone muttered into the crook of the Uchiha's elbow. Sasuke tried to hold back a shudder when the hot breath turned into a wet, slick appendage. The clones were running their hands over his damp skin, massaging his skin, as he was helpless to push them away. Kisses were being placed on his neck and stomach, tongues lapping at expanses of his skin, the interspaces of his toes and fingers._

" _You've got your tongue, not the upper hand." Sasuke inhaled sharply as a tongue ran over a spot he hadn't known was sensitive, the arch of his foot and glared at all the clones who looked up, each one of them smirking._

" _Yeah, a dozen of them." One of the clones chuckled. Hands gripped his sides; fingers massaging the spots Naruto knew were sensitive and brushing across his nipples and abdomen. He noticed that the exploring fingers were missing his length on purpose as well as just barely touching his hardening nipples and Sasuke had to stop himself from groaning aloud in frustration._

_One of the clones pushed past the others, forcing them to spread his legs wider as a blonde lowered his face in front of his growing erection and exhaled a puff of hot air onto his sensitive skin. Sasuke inhaled sharply, biting his lip as more blood rushed to his crotch._

" _You're hard, Teme, just from a little tasting." The blonde's breath ghosted over his freed erection and he jerked against the strong tan hands that held him. "See, this is why I want to marry him. I want to give him nothing but pleasure for the rest of his life." Another clone whispered against the crook of his knee as he licked the heated skin and made the Uchiha clone grit his teeth as a moan bubbled in his throat._

_Marry? Sasuke wondered. He hadn't heard about this from the blonde before and he wanted to ask about it only to tense as a mouth pressed against the underside of his length. Thoughts fled from his mind as the hot, wet, mouth trailed down to his balls and lips wrapped around him._

" _Feels good, doesn't it?" A clone whispered into his belly button. Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed thickly as the mouth on his balls started to suck on them. "I still don't understand why you hate it when I do this." The clone dipped his tongue down into his belly button and Sasuke tried to jerk his hands free again. Another clone reached out, gripping the head of his length and lifting it off Sasuke's abdomen._

" _You always fight me when I try to give you pleasure." A clone whispered just before kissing the back of his ankle. The mouth around his balls started moving, a tongue pressing against his skin. "See?" Another clone asked as Sasuke jerked upwards, a mouth slipping over the head of his erection and making it that much harder to ignore the pleasure racing through his veins._

" _I hate you." Sasuke hissed at the clones. The mouth on his balls pulled away and the Uchiha let out a sigh of relief only to tense up again, a tongue was pressing against his anus._

" _No you don't." Naruto whispered into his ear. "You're loving this, you just hate being the only one who's feeling pleasure." The clone's mouth on his cock was sucking roughly, the tongue pressing against his entrance slipped into him and started to move vigorously._

_At the pace the clones were going, the Uchiha knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He was holding back his moans just barely as the clones sucked and nipped at his skin, finding new sensitive spots neither of them knew he had. Sasuke let out a grunt as his body involuntarily started to spasm, he was going to climax soon if they didn't stop._

" _I know what that means," A clone whispered in excitement. "He's going to orgasm." Another of the clones nearly giggled, nuzzling his abdomen with his cheek. Sasuke wanted to snap at the clones but the blonde with his lips around his cock started to hum._

_It was getting to be too much, he was going to climax and Sasuke just really hated being a clone right now. Suddenly, there was a poof at his feet. It tickled and Sasuke jerked his foot back, finally free. The Naruto with his mouth around Sasuke's cock pulled away, surprised and several more clones disappeared in puffs of smoke._

" _No, it's not fair. We didn't get to finish!" A clone whined as it was dispelled. There were only a few clones now and he had free range of his limbs again so the Uchiha clone smirked and helped finish what the real Naruto had started._

* * *

The blonde's clones had ganged up on him in one of the apartments, had starting taking his clothes off and had been licking him. Of all things, _licking_ him!

"Do you have a death wish?" Sasuke felt a muscle near his eye twitch as the ticklish sensation of the blonde's tongue lapping at the sole of his foot ran up his leg. He had tried to dispel Naruto's clones only to have them grab his wrists and ankles. There had been ten, maybe eleven of the clones and they all had kissed him, ran their tongues across expanses of his skin and sucked at his sensitive spots. They had reduced his clone to a heavy breathing, heap of choked whimpers, straining muscles and twitching limbs.

"Eheh, Sasuke, listen to me. I can explain." Naruto raised his hands in self-defense as he started to back away. "I didn't know they were going to do that to you." Sasuke paused as the clone's memory resurfaced, his member stirring as he remembered the torturous pleasure.

" _You're hard, Teme, just from a little tasting." The blonde's breath ghosted over his freed erection and he jerked against the strong tan hands that held him. "See, this is why I want to marry him. I want to give him nothing but pleasure for the rest of his life." Another clone whispered against the crook of his knee as he licked the heated skin and made the Uchiha clone grit his teeth as a moan bubbled in his throat._

_Marry?_ His clone had wondered but it made sense now. This was something the blonde had been thinking about for a while now, weeks maybe. It soothed Sasuke's nerves that his idiot wasn't taking the matter lightly, but also scared him.

"Um, Teme?" Naruto called out the Uchiha's name cautiously. He had stopped backing away as Sasuke contemplated the memory. "We need to go talk to Obaa-san about Apricot still." The blonde made his attempt to distract the Uchiha carefully, keeping himself out of his reach.

"Come on, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke responded calmly. "I'll punish you later." He walked past the blonde, smirking when Naruto stiffened, fearing he would be hit. When Naruto realized what Sasuke had said, he caught up to the Uchiha and slipped his tan hand into Sasuke's pale grasp. Raising their hands, Naruto brushed his lips across the Uchiha's knuckles and leaned into Sasuke's pale shoulder as they walked out of the narrow street.

* * *

"This is the tarp with the seal on it." Shikamaru pulled it from under his arm and set the flattened, folded tarp and set it down on the table in front of Sasuke and Naruto on the couch.

"You're giving it back?" Naruto asked. He looked from his friend to the Hokage and then to Kakashi. "I didn't think we'd need it anymore."

"You're going to need it to strengthen Apricot's seal again." Kakashi supplied. Both Shikamaru and Tsunade looked over to the white haired jonin questioningly at Kyoko's nickname and the redhead fidgeted from her spot on the couch's armrest.

"But I thought it worked before." The redheaded genin shifted her weight on the armrest and looked between the older occupants in the room, her green eyes flicking around to each of them.

"It did what it was supposed to do." Sasuke stared at the tarp, clearly frowning. "It strengthened your seal."

"But it didn't fix her seal." Tsunade finally spoke up. Everyone but her and Shikamaru stilled, Sasuke felt the urge to raise his hand to his stomach but stopped himself. "Actually, the seal can't be fixed." She blatantly stated and shrugged her shoulders.

"What?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"Kyuubi is going to break through my seal again?" Kyoko called out nervously. She reached up to her braid and ran her finger across the spiked strap before looking over to Sasuke and Naruto.

"Yes, probably at a faster rate since you're living with the real container." Kakashi answered.

"Oi, we can't watch her all the time, what will happen if Kyuubi breaks free and Sasuke's not around to seal him back up?" Naruto looked over to the female genin and then back to the Hokage. He was leaning forward in his seat, frowning with his shoulders hunched.

"That's why we came here to talk to you about it." Tsunade sighed and rolled her eyes. "What do you think we can do?" The older woman looked pointedly to Sasuke. Sasuke averted his eyes and turned his head, looking to Naruto's stomach as he contemplated.

"I'm not sure. I had thought strengthening the seal would at least stave off the deterioration for another decade." Sasuke wanted to gnaw on the inside of his cheek as he tried to think how long it would take for the seal to break again.

"We don't know how long it would take, a few months, a few years." Shikamaru muttered, his sour expression growing darker as he furrowed his eyebrows. "But her seal will weaken eventually and Kyuubi will attempt another escape." Naruto glanced over to the redhead and Sasuke couldn't help but let his eyes trail over to the second Kyuubi container.

"I'm going to have seal experts start working on the problem. We might not know anything for weeks, or even months and we have a secret pregnancy to think about." Tsunade pointedly looked to Sasuke's stomach. "I'm taking both you and, what's your name again?" She paused glancing over to the redhead.

"Kyoko." The redhead answered cautiously. She lowered her head to examine her hands on the armrest.

"Yeah, you, off of probation. Of course, you'll still be confined to the village and only allowed to take missions that don't require you to leave." Tsunade looked back to Sasuke and grinned. "Actually most of your missions will be watching Kyoko do her missions to ensure that Kyuubi doesn't escape."

"At least until his maternity leave." Shikamaru interjected.

"Wait, Sasuke's going to get maternity leave?" Naruto leaned forward, surprised.

"He is pregnant, brat." Tsunade pointed to the Uchiha's seal and smirked as the blonde sagged back into the couch, pouting. "What, do you not know you get one too?" Immediately, Naruto lit back up and grinned.

"I had Sasuke so I never bothered learning about it." Naruto grinned and turned back to the dark haired male, grabbing his head and planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek. The Uchiha immediately tried to push the blonde away glaring as he pried the blonde's lips off his cheek. "Did I ever tell you that I love you?" Naruto asked.

"That's so touching." Tsunade answered for him sarcastically. She smirked and watched as the Uchiha pushed the blonde away, scowling at the show of affection. "But you two make me want to puke." The Hokage rolled her eyes and turned to Shikamaru. "Let's go, I've had enough of them for the next few days already." The lazy genius nodded and sighed.

"Wait," Kyoko called out. She raised her hand out to them with a concerned expression. "What should we do to stop my seal from weakening? I mean, what things should we not do?" Tsunade waved her off, walking out of the house as Kakashi followed her.

"Don't use Kyuubi's chakra, try not to touch each other and don't have sex with Naruto," Shikamaru had to pause when the blonde indignantly called out that he was never going to have sex with her. "That's about all I can recommend without knowing anything specific."

"It won't be a problem." Naruto yelled loudly. The redhead had been blushing when Naruto had interrupted the brunette genius but now she was as red as a tomato, embarrassed. Sasuke tilted his head towards the lazy genius's retreating back, who knew Shikamaru had a decent sense of humor?

"Oh, I nearly forgot." Kakashi called from somewhere near the entryway of the house and backtracked, silently stepping over every creaky floorboard. "Sakura wants you to go in the hospital for an ultrasound next week, you'll have to find out when to meet your sonographer from her."

"Wait," Naruto blinked in confusion. Sasuke stiffened and stared at their old teacher. "You mean we have to get a random doctor to check the baby out? Why can't Sakura just do it here?"

"You can't get an ultrasound here in the compound, all the equipment would be out of date and besides, Sakura isn't trained to use an ultrasound machine." Kakashi waved his hand and turned around again. "Not to worry, she picked out one that's experienced with your type of pregnancies."

"Kakashi! Get your ass out here!" The Hokage called out loudly. Slowly, the Uchiha dared to glance over at the blonde who was staring back at him concerned. The three in the house sat still, two of them waiting for the door to click shut and the other waiting for the older two to move.

"What are we going to do? Going to get his ultrasound is going get us discovered." Naruto asked softly as soon as he heard the click. Sasuke looked over to the redhead, the girl shifted uncomfortably before sliding off the armrest.

"I'm going to go and," She paused, biting her lower lip as she tried to think of an excuse. "Study, in the book shop near the gate." Kyoko refused to look up from the floor as she passed Naruto and Sasuke, padding her feet loudly against the wooden floor to the front door.

"It was inevitable." Sasuke replied in a soft tone as soon as the girl was out of the room. "We weren't going to be able to hide it forever." Naruto studied the Uchiha's face for a moment before relaxing his concerned expression.

"I guess I was hoping we'd be a little farther than the beginning of the second trimester though." Naruto sighed and leaned forward before falling sideways, his head landing in his dark haired lover's lap. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, looking down at Naruto's blue eyes, his blonde hair and tan skin. He watched as pink lips stretched into a genuine smile, which made his heart flutter a little. "I was kind of hoping people would notice because you'd have a big belly and we'd be shopping for baby clothes."

For a moment, Sasuke stared down at the other male and then pushed the blonde off his lap and onto the floor. Naruto landed unceremoniously, his limbs spastically trying to find something to hold onto to right himself. It took a second but Naruto's hands finally found the floor and he pushed himself up into a sitting position. The fluttering feeling didn't stop and Sasuke couldn't help but lean down to press his lips against Naruto's before either of them started to halfheartedly complain.


	18. Ultrasound

**August 20th, the fifteenth week**

"You've been putting this conversation off, Sasuke. Why don't you want to talk about this?" Naruto placed a hand on the Uchiha's shoulder, looking concerned.

"Hn." Sasuke ignored the hand on his shoulder and moved away, carrying a basket of sheets to the front door where a clone of Naruto held it open for him.

"Are you going to ignore me until I drop it?" Sasuke didn't say anything, passing the basket of damp sheets to another of the blonde's clones who took it with one hand and saluted the Uchiha with the other. "You said you wanted to talk about it." The Uchiha turned his head as the blonde moved forward to walk in step with the other male and regarded him carefully.

"Marry me." Naruto called out. The Uchiha didn't so much as hesitate in his gate, he didn't turn his head towards the blonde, didn't even shift his gaze. Huffing indignantly, Naruto continued to stare at Sasuke, knowing the other male would feel it.

"I thought you were a romantic." Sasuke watched as a clone of him came walking up with several blondes, all of them carrying boxes. The Uchiha's clone was carrying a smaller box but didn't seem to be making any complaints as they set the boxes in a pile in the middle of the street.

"You'd ignore me if I did something stupid and mushy." Naruto sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. Both of the males surveyed the growing pile of boxes, furniture, and other miscellaneous stuff that were in the current homes they were cleaning out.

"Hn." Sasuke was purposely ignoring him, refusing to answer the question. The Uchiha turned his attention to a clone that was jogging towards them, coming from the street that they normally took to the entrance.

"Come on, Teme. Why don't you want to say yes?" Naruto tried again. He knew Sasuke wanted to say yes, deep down somewhere, the prickly bastard wanted to say yes. The clone stopped in front of them, his breathing a little labored. Both Sasuke and Naruto looked to the clone, waiting for him to tell them why he was looking for them.

"Sasuke says he wants you to make more clones to move the furniture to the training dojo behind the police station, we can figure out what to do with it all when we've finished all the houses." A Naruto clone came jogging up to them; his normal orange cargo pants had been replaced with orange shorts.

"The real Sasuke?" The real blonde blinked in surprise, looking from his clone to Sasuke who walked away from the two, intent on taking inventory of what was accumulating on the pile. Nodding, the clone let his eyes follow the Sasuke in front of them. "Where is he?"

"Working with us through some of the houses by the open entrance, he sent half of us there and the other half to the apartments where we were last week. All these boxes are from the apartments." The clone pointed in the direction of the apartments, askew from the direction of the entrance. Shooing his clone away with a few waves of his hand, he turned his attention back to Sasuke, or at least the clone of Sasuke.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a clone?" Naruto hissed. The clone looked over to him, an emotionless expression set on his face.

"What does it matter? I'll remember the conversation anyway." Sasuke looked away as Naruto's expression turned darker.

"That isn't the point!" Naruto stomped his foot down. He didn't care if he was acting like a petulant child; Sasuke was being a real asshole. "I told you I wanted to talk to you after my mission and you leave a clone to deal with me?"

"I left the clone to do laundry, not to talk to you." The clone tried to reason with the blonde but he only grabbed Sasuke's elbow and forced the Uchiha to look at him.

"Bullshit!" Naruto yelled. "You've been avoiding me so you can avoid having this conversation." The clone looked down to the hand on his elbow and then looked back up to meet Naruto's bright blue eyes.

"Go find me then, if you don't want to have this conversation with a clone." The clone of Sasuke pulled his elbow out of Naruto's grip and glared at him before turning away though he didn't walk off. The blonde strode forward, hands clenching and unclenching as he tried to control his anger.

"You know, you can be a real asshole sometimes." Naruto looked back to the clone and shook his head. He turned his head and continued in the direct his clone had pointed out that the real Sasuke was out. The Uchiha clone glanced to the retreating blonde, his expression forlorn.

Naruto wanted to go back and punch Sasuke's clone out of existence but he resisted the urge. It wouldn't be good to get on Sasuke's bad side by showing him any violence so instead he inhaled through his nose. Clenching and relaxing his hands as he made his way through the compound, it helped, a little. Why didn't Sasuke want to answer him?

More than one thought popped into his head to answer the question but each one of them only upset him even more. He wanted to talk to Sasuke about this, not come up with his own ideas of what Sasuke was thinking. This was why they fought all the time; they didn't talk about the things that were bothering them. Naruto had been trying to talk more to the Uchiha, to solve most of those problems but Sasuke was still hesitant in some aspects. Avoiding answering the question, telling half-truths, or simply saying nothing, it frustrated and scared him simultaneously.

They had been through so much together; Haku and Zabuza, their first Chuunin Exam, Orochimaru, and Itachi. Itachi, Naruto unclenched his fists for a moment, remembering Sasuke tell him the whole story in his cramped little cell in the last few weeks he was in isolation. That had been the first time he had seen Sasuke cry. Then there had been saving Sasuke from getting a death sentence, which the Uchiha could only guess had happened, saving the bastards life when those hired assassin's had tried to rape him, convincing the Hokage to put him on probation.

Was all of that really not enough? Did he still have to prove himself to be marriage material? He would have thought being the father of their unborn child would be enough but obviously he was wrong. Naruto shook his head, trying to get those thoughts out of his head; he was jumping to conclusions without even knowing Sasuke's side of the story. He had to be calm, to ask for the reason why he didn't want to say yes. Naruto refused to think the Uchiha's answer would be no.

Some of his clones were on the street he turned onto, carrying suitcases and bundles of clothes they were piling into the middle of the street and they looked up to him as he approached. When they saw him, they set down the stuff in their hands and mock saluted to him, both grinning. He had to remind himself that he had been in a good mood when he had created the clones, a stark contrast to how he was feeling now.

"Where's Sasuke?" The blonde asked bitterly. Both of the clones looked to each other, their expressions changing into confusion at their real counterparts sour mood and then one of them pointed into the house they'd come out of. Nodding to them, the real Naruto turned to the house, the traditional long faced house. Naruto walked into the house.

Furniture was pushed against walls, tracks in the dust on the floor and a pile of belongings stacked in the hallway. Naruto moved farther into the house, the dim lighting of old light bulbs making it hard to clearly see where he was going. Room after room, he glanced into only to find it empty or a clone of his packing things away. After moving through half the large house, he sighed and raised a hand to run it through his hair, frustrated.

There was a panel door that led to the inner garden in one of the room and he opened it, planning on cutting across to make a full circuit around the house. Instead, he found Sasuke. The Uchiha was on the small bridge overlooking a pond; the grass was overgrown, cutting into the rock path and dead. As he got closer to the bridge and his pregnant lover, he could see the pond had an overgrowth of algae and wondered why Sasuke was so intently staring down into it.

"My clone dispelled itself after you left." Sasuke called out as the blonde approached. Naruto paused momentarily, deflating a little in his anger since the Uchiha knew how upset he was. "You want to know why I won't say yes?" The Uchiha asked as the blonde stepped onto the bridge and leaned onto the handrail, their arms from elbow to shoulders touching.

"I came all the way over here, didn't I?" Naruto looked up from the pond to Sasuke, watching for his cold exterior to break, to let the blonde in like he always did, eventually. "You won't talk to me and it's frustrating, Sasuke." The Uchiha's exterior cracked, his lips twitched into a frown and his upper body tensed.

"Hn." Sasuke replied. Naruto took that for Sasuke-nese to mean that he wasn't trying to be frustrating. Shifting from one foot to the other, Naruto bit down on the inside of his cheek, trying not to clench his fists.

"Will you talk to me about it?" Naruto asked. Sasuke opened his mouth and then paused, staring into the murky pond water.

"You could die any day, I could die," Sasuke started. "And our relationship is fine the way it is, why do you want to change it?" The Uchiha looked up, his dark eyes emotionless on the surface. Naruto could read the dark haired male though, the way his eyebrows were furrowed and how he had pursed his lips just enough to be pouting.

"Yeah we could die on any mission, on any day, but that's part of the job description and we knew that when we decided to have serious relationship together. Getting married isn't going to change it, Teme." Naruto watched the Uchiha's expression darken before looking away again. "Why would you think that?"

"It's just a piece of paper and you're so adamant about it. I don't understand why it's so important to you." Naruto blinked, realizing that Sasuke was just as frustrated and confused as he was.

"You're right, it is a piece of paper, but it's a piece of paper that lawfully ties us together. That's all that would change, Sasuke. I'm not going to leave you if you say no." Naruto told him. Sasuke didn't seem convinced, still staring down into the murky depths of the pond.

"And on top of that, if we got married we'd have to plan a wedding, no matter how small and the Hokage would get involved because she loves to meddle in our affairs." Naruto snorted, nodding his head in agreement.

"True, I didn't think of that." The blonde muttered. He hadn't seriously considered the old hag would want to meddle. "But we can deal with the Hokage and we can handle a little get together of our friends even if it is labeled as a wedding."

"What if I asked you to sign a pre-nup?" Sasuke muttered.

"A what?" Naruto asked, confused.

"A prenuptial agreement, it's a legal document. If we ever got divorced-" Sasuke tensed again, leaning away from the blonde.

"Hey," Naruto reached out and grabbed the Uchiha's shoulder, pulling him close. "Hey, Teme." He stepped closer to the dark haired male, grabbing the Uchiha's chin so their eyes would meet. "I will sign any piece of paper you want me to if it means you'll marry me and I promise, I will never let you go." Sasuke's eyes darted downwards, away from Naruto as he started to blush. Naruto started to smile and watched as Sasuke raised a hand to his abdomen, he had grown accustomed to doing that when he was thinking and the blonde found it adorable. Rubbing the dark haired male's shoulder, Naruto stepped closer, raising his other hand to do the same to his other shoulder and watched Sasuke blink, snapping out of his thoughts.

"If I do say yes," Sasuke began. Naruto began to smile even though Sasuke looked up to stare at him. "If I do say yes to marrying you, if we have a wedding, and if you sign pre-nup or not, whose last name are we going to use?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow questioningly and Naruto looked away, focusing on massaging Sasuke's shoulders as he thought about it.

"I don't know. It would be strange listening to others calling you Sasuke Uzumaki." Naruto grinned, imagining Sasuke scowling at being called Uzumaki during missions.

"So you want to be Naruto Uchiha?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow and gave a small smirk when Naruto's eyes widened and he looked away, his turn to blush.

"I didn't say that, bastard. Can we keep our last names and still be married?" Naruto asked. He looked back over to his partner, watched the other nod and lowered his hands from Sasuke's bare shoulders to his hands, interlinking their fingers.

"What would our little baby boy's last name be then?" Sasuke asked. Naruto blinked in confusion and then frowned.

"I thought you wanted a girl." Naruto felt Sasuke pull one of his hands away and looked back over the rail and down into the pond.

"When did I say that?" Sasuke asked. Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed.

"So you want it to be a boy?" The blonde asked. He watched Sasuke twitch the side of his lips, quirking it into a half smile.

"I, I don't want to know. Every time I begin to think about the baby having a gender, I can't picture it." Sasuke squeezed the blonde's hand and Naruto squeezed it back reassuringly.

"Okay, so should we tell the ultrasound technician not to tell us the gender when we go?" Naruto asked. Sasuke paused a moment before nodding.

"Yeah." The Uchiha answered, a little distracted. Naruto watched the Uchiha raise his hand to his abdomen a second time before realizing what he was doing and dropped his hand. "I want to get this house cleaned up before the end of the day." Sasuke turned away from the pond and stepped off the bridge, pulling the blonde by their intertwined hands after him.

"You do know that means we have to think of twice the number of baby names." Naruto said as he grinned. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder to him, just barely smiling.

"We'll give them a unisex name." The Uchiha replied. Taking long strides so he was walking in tandem with the dark haired male, Naruto shook his head adamantly.

"No way in hell, asshole." The blonde answered. "I want our baby's name to be special." He looked over to the Uchiha, saw the telltale smirk of a joke and his grin got wider.

"Hn." Sasuke responded as Naruto pulled him close to kiss him on the forehead.

* * *

**August 22nd, still the fifteenth week**

"Why don't you want to go?" Sasuke petulantly ignored Naruto's question, sitting at their kitchen table, slouching in his seat with his arms crossed over his stomach. He was dressed in a pair of black shorts that had an elastic waistband and a dark blue shirt with sleeves just long enough to cover his seal. "Sasuke, Sakura is probably there already." Naruto sighed when the Uchiha didn't answer him and leaned against the nearest doorframe. The Uchiha stared back at the blonde, refusing to move. "Come on, Teme. We're going to be late." Naruto tried to reason with Sasuke's logical side, normally he frowned upon tardiness but the pregnant male wasn't taking the bait.

"You have been testy all week." The blonde sighed in exasperation. "You didn't seem all that upset about our secret being found out a week ago." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and put most of his weight onto one foot, raising the other to tap the tip of his shoe against the floor.

"It's different." Sasuke muttered. Naruto turned his head, watching Sasuke realize he had broken his vow of silence and frowned, unintentionally pouting. "Sakura told this sonographer that I'm pregnant and we don't even know his name." Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"That's what your upset about? Do you not trust Sakura's judgment?" Sasuke looked away, pointedly ignoring the question. Naruto took the quick second to roll his eyes and then looked straight back to Sasuke, hoping the other male hadn't seen it. The Uchiha was still looking away from him and Naruto grinned thinking of a way to tease the stubborn bastard. "Look, Sasuke. We go, he checks you out and if you don't trust him, kill him." That got Sasuke's attention and he did a sidelong glance to the blonde, his pout deepening.

"You're not funny." Sasuke replied quietly. Naruto pushed off from the doorframe and moved closer to the dark haired male.

"Then, use your Sharingan and threaten to kill him if he so much as sneezes in the wrong direction." Sasuke narrowed his eyes in restrained anger. Naruto had to stop himself from grinning but Sasuke turned his head, glaring directly at the blonde.

"You know I can't do that either." Sasuke said. Naruto moved closer, kneeling down in front of him and watched the Uchiha shift. Shifting was something Sasuke never used to do and that worried the blonde a little. When was the last time Sasuke had done any kind of training? He'd have to remind him to train instead of cleaning out houses and taking inventory every day.

"It's not that you can't, it's that you won't," Naruto spoke softly and the Uchiha stilled, eyes glued to Naruto's cerulean pair. "And that's what I love about you." The blonde smiled and stood up, using the table to straighten himself. "Now, are you coming willingly or am I going to have to carry you?" Sasuke's eyes were still trained on him, his arms tense, over his stomach before he looked down at them.

"Hn." Slowly, he reached out, placing his hands on the table and using it to stand. Naruto stepped back, letting Sasuke out from between the chair and the table, smiling. Glancing over to the blonde, the Uchiha turned his head to the door and let Naruto lead the way. When they were out of the house, Naruto slowed his pace so that they were walked together, Naruto with a grin and his hands in his pockets.

"You should train with me tomorrow, Teme." Naruto said offhandedly. Sasuke glanced over to him; the small twitch of his eyebrow told the blonde that he was confused as to why he was bringing training up of all things. "I mean, think about it, when was the last time you did any training?" Sasuke looked down, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought.

"The Chuunin exams." Sasuke answered truthfully. "There hasn't been time." They turned a corner and walked down the street, examining the piles of boxes that were stacked outside several of the buildings.

"But you should make time, Sakura and the books say exercise is key in the later months of pregnancy, it's never too early to start." Naruto raised his hands, muttered 'Kage bunshin no jutsu' and the entire street was filled with clones of the blonde.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked. Naruto raised one hand to scratch his head as he lowered the other to grab Sasuke's hand. "It's your day off." Immediately the clones grabbed the piles of stuff, conversing with each other in tandem, filling the quite street with noise.

"It's fine, Teme. I'll be more than rested for my shift on patrol tomorrow and this way, you'll have more free time since you won't be overseeing every single house."

"Idiot, I wanted to do it that way so I wouldn't miss anything." Sasuke let the blonde drag him around another corner, away from the clones and in sight of the gated entrance.

"Come on, Sasuke. Trust me a little!" Naruto sighed dramatically. "I've cleaned out more than enough houses already to know what I'm doing." Sasuke frowned. Then he shook his head and gave up, knowing he wasn't going to win against the blonde who had already made up his mind.

"Hn." Sasuke responded. He dropped the subject but Naruto knew the Uchiha was still irritated about it. Hopefully his clones didn't mess up anything too much before they got back. The rest of the walk through the compound was quiet, both of them having nothing to say and enjoyed their silent company.

When Sasuke opened the barrier and Naruto pulled open the gate though, they found themselves in the middle of a busy, crowded street. The noises were loud and blaringly different from the quiet compound. Naruto let Sasuke through the gate first before he pulled it shut after him and moved to put up the barrier again. A few people looked to them, having seen them come out and for a second or two, stared at them before turning away again, back to whatever they were doing.

Sasuke didn't wait for Naruto to seal the barrier and the blonde had to jog after him, catching up with him easily. The hospital was a few minutes of a walk away and they silently passed hundreds of people on the busy streets and dozens of open shops. They walked side by side in the middle of the street, people moving out of the way for the emotionless Uchiha as Naruto swerved and paused in his steps, letting others pass before him.

When the hospital came into view, Sasuke stiffened and Naruto smiled reassuringly and passed through the entrance, looking back to the Uchiha who followed after a few seconds. Naruto opened the door for Sasuke and trailed behind him as they made a beeline for the receptionist desk.

"I'm here to see Haruno Sakura." Sasuke spoke quietly to the woman. She glanced up at him, not needing to ask who he was and looked down to her desk. Naruto leaned forward, watching her flip through a booklet, looking for Sasuke's name.

"Sasuke, Naruto!" Sakura's voice called out to them. They both looked up and watched her come closer. She had on a white doctors coat over her pink ninja uniform, her short pink hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Sorry, I didn't tell them where to find me." She smiled politely and the woman behind the counter nodded in understanding, looking down to her book again. "Come on." The pinkette motioned for the two to follow her and they did.

Deeper into the hospital they went, passing numerous nurses, doctors, patients and gurneys. Sakura stopped at a random room and opened the door, walking in first. Naruto reached the door first and pushed it open with one hand, motioning with his other hand for the Uchiha to go in before him. Sasuke nodded to him, the muscles of his lips twitching in nervousness.

"So the ultrasound technician I picked out for you wants to keep things low profile. He's not looking for trouble so he's not going to ask for your name and he hopes that you won't ask for his." Sasuke glanced over to the woman skeptically and Sakura rolled her eyes. "Sasuke, it took some forceful convincing to even get him to do this so please, just let him do his job." The Uchiha didn't seem convinced and he surveyed the room as Naruto closed the door and moved to look around the room.

"Wow, it's, kind of plain. I was expecting there to be more wires or something." Naruto trailed his hand over the plain doctors chair, the small machine and the attached cart with a monitor on it. "This is all he needs to do all the tests?" Sasuke watched him, eyeing the equipment cautiously.

"He's going to bring an AFP kit, don't pout Sasuke, you need to get it done so we know the fetus is healthy." Sakura punched the dark haired male softly on his shoulder, grinning.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered. If he was going to say anything else, he didn't get the chance because someone knocked on the door. The Uchiha stiffened and moved away from the door as Sakura moved past him, opening it.

"Good morning, how are you today?" Sakura asked politely. A man, probably the same age as Kakashi or even Iruka, stepped in, looking nervous. With plain brown hair, a pair of glasses and an average stature, he seemed like a normal person.

"Fine, um. I'll be your ultrasound technician for the length of your pregnancy, have you told them that-?" The brown haired male looked to Sakura.

"Yes, I just did." Sakura interrupted and pointedly looked from Sasuke to Naruto. "They've agreed to it, right?" She let the unspoken threat hang in the air and the blonde suddenly found the windowless walls extremely interesting.

"Yes." Sasuke grudgingly answered. The sonographer bowed his head and moved his bag from one hand to the other, moving towards a second chair and set his bag down on the cart.

"If you can sit in the chair and lift your shirt, I'll apply the gel and we can get started right away." The brunette male didn't look up to anyone in the room as he rummaged through his bag and pulled out several things.

"What's the needle for?" Naruto asked. He was watching the ultrasound technician's movements thoughtfully as Sasuke sat down in the chair and shifted until he was comfortable.

"It's for the AFP test, normally he wouldn't be administering it but I haven't been trained for that yet." Sakura smiled when Naruto just raised an eyebrow in confusion. "AFP stands for Alpha-Fetoprotein, he's going to insert the needle and take a little amniotic fluid so I can test it for genetic problems or abnormalities. Don't worry, Naruto." Sakura told the blonde. "It's done during the ultrasound to make sure the needle isn't anywhere near the baby."

Sasuke looked up from the technician's fumbling hands and watched Naruto sag forward in relief. He sat forward, shifting to roll his shirt up and leaned back again, lowering his hands from his chest to the armrests of the chair. Watching the technician uncap an unlabeled tube poured a clear gel onto a napkin in his hands.

"So, um, how far along are you?" The male asked. He reached forward with the napkin and then stopped, looking up for a signal of approval before he reached any closer.

"Fifteen weeks." Naruto answered, he leaned on the back of the chair and Sasuke nodded to the technician and inhaled as the cool gel touched his skin.

"A little late for an ultrasound but that's nothing to worry about," The sonographer spread the gel across a large portion of his slightly protruding stomach and looked up, pushing his glasses up his nose as his eyes went straight to the Uchiha's covered shoulders. "Would it be possible for me to see the seal, I've only seen these kind of seals on women before."

"No." Sasuke immediately answered. Sakura sent him a disapproving look and the technician looked down to the cart, crumpling the napkin in his hand and gently tossed it into an open wastebasket.

"The less you know about the seal the better off you'll be." Naruto supplied with a grin. The blonde ruffled Sasuke's dark hair and chuckled when the Uchiha swatted his hand away, lifting his head to glare at him.

"Right, of course." The sonographer glanced between the two and started to manipulate the machine, bringing it closer to him on its wheels as he turned it on. "Okay, um." He murmured after a moment and started to type something on the keyboard. When he looked back to Sasuke and Naruto, the blonde was facing away from the chair, a hand twisted behind his back and wincing as he tried to wiggle his wrist out of the Uchiha's grip.

"Stop messing around you guys, the quicker he can start, the quicker you can get out of here." Sakura sighed and placed her hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised in slight annoyance. Sasuke tightened his grip for a short second and then let go. Naruto happily pulled his hand away from Sasuke, stretching his arm out in front of him.

"Alright, I'm going to turn on the monitor here and we'll be ready to go." The technician leaned forward, pressing a button and the clunky screen whirred to life. "I need to ask you, do you want me to share the gender or do you want it to be a surprise?" With one hand, the male pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose again and spread the gel onto the machine's handheld thing.

"A surprise." Sasuke answered. He watched the male's hands and resisted the urge to raise his hand to his stomach. Finding it hard to ignore, Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek and mentally agreed with the blonde, he was going to have to train. He was losing his calm and collected composure.

"That's understandable. I'll have to check the baby's genital area but I won't explain anything we'll be seeing." The brunette male brought the ultrasound cart closer and dragged his chair softly across the floor so he was closer to the Uchiha. "May I?" The male held the gray handheld thing up and met Sasuke's gaze. Nodding his head, Sasuke watched as the sonographer gently pressed it against his abdomen and the screen of the machine lit up.

Sasuke wanted to look up; it was killing him that he was still staring at his stomach. The pressure felt strange but he fought the urge and waited for the brunette to look up from his stomach before he did. The screen was mostly black, an image of moving gray and white that confused Sasuke for a moment. This was his abdomen? Naruto leaned forward into his line of peripheral vision but the dark haired male didn't want to look away from the screen, fearing he would miss something if he did.

"Let's see here." The sonographer moved the device on his stomach slowly, the gray and black moving into more undefined shapes that Sasuke tried to make out. When he paused, Naruto leaned in even closer, craning his neck forward. "Here we go, this," the technician raised his free hand to the screen and pointed to a roundish mound of blurry grey. "Is his, or her, head." Sasuke had to force himself to breathe evenly, that was their baby. Shivers raced up and down his spine, the idea of being pregnant had hit him hard when the seal appeared on his shoulder but actually seeing the little life growing inside of him, it was proof that his and Naruto's baby was real.

"Wow," Naruto mumbled. Sasuke saw movement in the corner of his eye and glanced to Sakura who had raised her hand to cover her mouth as she tried to hide her teary eyes. "And that," The Uchiha whipped his head back to the screen as Naruto pointed to a smaller blob on the screen. "What is that?"

"That's a hand." The sonographer smiled at the image on the screen and looked back to them. "Would you like to get a picture of this? As a keepsake?" Naruto looked to Sasuke who reigned in his emotions, glaring knowingly.

"No." Sasuke answered pointedly. He saw the technician look over to Sakura and then back to the screen of the ultrasound machine almost dejectedly.

"Okay, well everything looks like it's in order so we'll get the ATP test done and you'll be set to go." The sonographer looked over to the tray and looked up to Sakura again. "If you could apply the anesthesia gel." He reached for the small container and handed it to Sakura. She popped it open and then took the napkin from the cart and wiped some gel with it.

"Where should I?" Sakura asked. The sonographer pointed to a specific spot of Sasuke's abdomen and looked back to the screen, the handheld part of the machine away from the spot he was pointing to.

"Alright, now it's going to tingle a little and then it should start to feel numb and the needle itself will just be pressure, nothing to worry about." The brunette reached for the needle on the cart as Sakura smeared the anesthetic gel on Sasuke's skin. Naruto leaned forward again, watching Sakura and screen of the ultrasound machine simultaneously and the Uchiha looked up to him, glaring at the loss of even more of his personal space.

"Back off, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke growled. The technician leaned back in fear; not realizing the Uchiha was simply giving the blonde a warning. Naruto hesitated but ended up straightening from his spot, looking down and watching over the shoulder of the chair. The technician looked to Sakura, his posture tense, nervous about how the dark haired male would react.

"You're fine." Sakura folded the napkin, discarded it and took the needle from the sonographer's hand. "He's just being a bit testy." She told the technician.

"Hn," Sasuke glared at the pink haired woman and then turned his attention to the screen, avoiding from glaring at the sonographer and scaring him even more than he was. Sakura placed the tip of the needle just above his abdomen and then stopped.

"Is here where you wanted me to take the sample?" She asked. Naruto leaned forward a little, leaning over Sasuke's shoulder as he watched Sakura's hands.

"Yes, there's fine but only take about 15 milliliters ." He answered quietly. The sonographer looked back to the screen and moved the hand held part of the machine over Sasuke's abdomen and returned to where they could see the baby's head. Sasuke bit the inside of his lip and looked down, watching as Sakura injected the needle into and through his abdominal wall. There was no pain; just a small pressure and he watched as his pink haired teammate slowly withdrew a small amount of an almost clear liquid. Sakura stopped and pulled the needle out of his abdomen with confidence. The technician immediately pressed a napkin over the area and pressed down on it.

"If you could keep pressure on here for a few minutes, we can clean up and you'll be ready to go." The dark haired male took the hand held part of the machine off Sasuke's skin and waited until Sasuke had a hand on the napkin before letting go. He took a sanitary napkin and cleaned it before replacing it back in its place.

"You mean that's it?" Naruto asked. He looked up to Sakura who was securely capping the syringe's needle and slipping it into her pocket. She nodded and pulled a napkin out for the Uchiha to wipe his stomach clean.

"That's it," The technician murmured. "Sakura will probably have the results back in a week or two, depending on how busy the labs will be." The man turned off the ultrasound machine and pushed the cart away.

"Is there anything we need to worry about though? Could you tell if anything was wrong?" Naruto asked. Sasuke looked up to him and then to the technician expectantly.

"From what I saw, your baby is perfectly healthy and nothing seems out of the ordinary so, I wouldn't be too worried about it." The man pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose and smiled up to Naruto.

"You tell anyone about this and I will kill you." Sasuke didn't bother glaring at the man, knowing the threat would be more than enough. The technician stilled, fear oozing out of him.

"U-understood." The sonographer tried to sound confident but failed miserably. Sakura sighed and Sasuke moved to get up before suddenly feeling lightheaded.

"Sasuke?" Naruto moved around the chair so he was standing next to the dark haired male and Sasuke watched the blonde gape at him in shock. "I've never seen you get a nose bleed before." The Uchiha raised his hand to his nostrils and pulled his fingers away, wet with blood.

"Ah, I've never seen it either." Sakura eyed his nose curiously and Sasuke didn't have anything to say, to busy trying to think how he should react.

"Here," The sonographer pulled another napkin and held it out to the dark haired male. "That's actually quite common during pregnancy. It might happen a lot or this could be the only time." Sasuke took the napkin and held it to his nose, wiping the blood that dripped down to his lip. "I'll be leaving first, I have another appointment I need to get to."

"Just make sure to keep yourself hydrated and keep your stress levels down." Sakura smiled watched the dark haired male tilt his head back and glare at the ceiling. He heard someone open the door and glanced over to the closing door, watching the sonographer making his exit.

"And uh, when should Sasuke stop training?" Naruto asked. Their female teammate blinked and thought for a moment, her bright green eyes flicking up towards the ceiling as she thought.

"I wouldn't recommend going full out with you or Kakashi anymore, for obvious reasons." Sakura started. Sasuke glanced over to Naruto, watching him nod in understanding. "But you should keep practicing until it feels uncomfortable and at the first sign of that, you should stop, okay, Sasuke?" The pinkette looked over to him and he lowered his head, pulling the napkin away from his nose to check if it was still bleeding.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't do anything too stressful." Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and intertwined their fingers before Sasuke pulled his hand away, glaring at him only to have something wet drip down from his nose again. Huffing silently, Sasuke lifted his head again, pressing the bloodied napkin back to his nose.

"Oh, I know you won't." Sakura laughed and Sasuke turned away from them, wanting to roll his eyes but stopped himself at the last second. "But he needs to keep the circulation in his feet and legs going since he'll probably be stuck in bed for a large part of the third trimester. When you can't train, take a few walks around the compound and stretch."

"And give him foot massages?" The blonde asked. He was grinning from ear to ear when Sasuke looked over to him and glared. Slowly, Sasuke lowered his head and checked the napkin, finding that the bleeding had stopped.

"Yes, foot massages too." Sakura nodded and looked to the Uchiha, genuinely smiling instead of teasing. "I think I'll always be jealous of how much Naruto enjoys doing things for you, Sasuke." Sasuke found that moment to find the napkin more interesting than the pink haired ninja.

"Hn." Sasuke answered noncommittally. He went straight for the door and opened it, walking out and refusing to look back at the blonde in question. The technician had vacated the hallway and was nowhere in sight, giving Sasuke a sense of some security that their secret wasn't out just yet. He could hear Naruto and Sakura moving after him, the blonde calling out his name.

"Don't be mad at me, Sasuke! I can't help myself!" Naruto cried out. Sasuke emotionlessly glanced back to him, watching the blonde give him a pouting face as Sakura closed the door to the room behind her. "It's because I love you." Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck start to rise, Sasuke frowned and tried to stop the blush that wanted to spread across his cheeks as his face started to heat up.

"Alright, get going you two. You're causing a scene." Sakura nodded to a few people down the hall, Sasuke glanced over to them. A nurse, a doctor and a patient in a wheelchair watching the three ninja curiously down the hallway.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered. Stalking off in the direction of the entrance, Naruto followed after him, waving goodbye to the pink haired woman who watched them go.

"Bye Sakura-chan! We'll see you later!" Naruto called out. Sasuke didn't hear their female teammate say anything back so he kept walking. The blonde was walking beside him seconds later, grinning happily as they made their way out of the hospital. "When do you think Sakura-chan can move into the compound?" The blonde asked. Remaining silent, the Uchiha tilted his head as they passed the front desk, the nurse sitting there, waving to them as the blonde waved back.

"A few days, a week or two." He answered noncommittally.

"I guess it depends on when we finish cleaning the whole place up, huh?" Naruto sighed and followed his male lover to the gates of the hospital and onto the street, the crowds having only dispersed slightly since they're walk from the compound. Several attempts were made by the blonde to grab his hand but the Uchiha would clench his hand into a fist, pulling his hand away and slapping the blonde's hand when he began to feel annoyed.

"Took poor little Sasuke to the hospital because of a nosebleed?" Ino called out as they passed by her family's flower shop. She raised her hand to wave at them as she held a hose in her other hand. The blonde female was watering flowers, her long hair in her trademark ponytail and an apron over her civilian clothes.

"I broke his nose earlier this morning and went to go visit Sakura, that's all." Naruto innocently called back to her. Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head, ignoring the female blonde. From the corner of his eye, the dark haired male saw something flick across a rooftop across the street and tensed, he had wanted to turn to the blonde, to see if he had seen it as well but Naruto seemed oblivious as he wrapped up his short conversation with the female chuunin.

"Oops, looks like you're going to get left behind." Ino started to laugh as Sasuke walked away. "I'll talk to you later about switching shifts." She called out and Sasuke could hear his blonde quickly catching up to him.

"You could have at least said 'hi' to her you know." Naruto sighed dramatically and made another grab for Sasuke hand only to have the other male raise both of his arms, crossing them over his chest. Huffing in his fruitless efforts, Naruto rolled his shoulders backwards and then raised his arm, wrapping it around the Uchiha's shoulders and pulled the male close.

"Get off me." Sasuke immediately muttered. The blonde refused, squeezing his shoulders tightly as they walked. People moved out of their way, a few staring in puzzlement that Sasuke Uchiha was allowing the blonde to touch him in such an overly friendly manner.

"Make me." Naruto stubbornly told the dark haired male. The blonde waived to a toddler that had caught sight of his bright colored hair and turned Sasuke onto the street with the entrance to the compound. Blinking once, then a second time, Sasuke took in the response, feeling the blonde's tense grip on his shoulder and seeing they way Naruto would tilt his head in the direction he knew where the anbu was hiding made him think twice about causing a scene outside the compound.

"Hn." Sasuke managed to say and turned his head, refusing to look at the blonde as he was manhandled towards the locked entrance. Naruto only let go of him so he could unseal the barrier and Sasuke could open the door. Both males slipped inside the compound, Naruto shutting the gate behind him as Sasuke resealed it, Sasuke could see the blonde visibly relax and he let out a breath of relief, knowing they were safe now.

"You saw him too?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded, "I thought the watch detail was disbanded already." Both males glanced at the closed gate and then back to each other, Naruto looked concerned and Sasuke allowed himself to frown.

"It was." Sasuke muttered quietly. "I think the elders are going to try something again." Naruto tensed and inhaled sharply through his nose. "I'm going to go check on your clones and," Sasuke started to walk away, tilting his head over his shoulder to look back at the stressed blonde. "Then we're going to train." Naruto blinked, his shoulders slumping in puzzlement as the Uchiha's words started to sink in.

* * *

"What did you find out?" Koharu Utatane asked. She raised her head from her lap to look down at the anbu kneeling in front of her and her male counterpart.

"Nothing as of yet, we know the Hokage visited them after your conversation but I was unable to get inside the compound." The anbu lowered his head even closer to the ground.

"You have nothing to show after two weeks of surveillance?" Homura Mitokado sounded disappointed and watched how their loyal anbu attempt to remain stationary.

"Except for today, Sasuke Uchiha hasn't left the compound, the new container has yet to be seen and the original container only leaves for missions and shopping. They don't leave any openings for me to take." The anbu lifted his head a fraction as he spoke before lowering his head as soon as he was done.

"When they do, I expect you to take full advantage of it. Find what is going on between the container and the Uchiha, where they went today and who they met. Do not disappoint us again." Koharu Utatane scowled as she spoke.

"Yes, Mitokado-sama, Utatane-sama." The anbu bowed his head so low that his head touched the floor before he quickly jumped to the ceiling, wanting to get out of their presence and back to the entrance of the compound. He would not fail them.


	19. Sasuke Uchiha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't planned on writing the end of the chapter the way it turned out but oddly, I'm okay with it. The previous ending I had was too close to another scene I want to write involving a bathtub ;)

**August 27th, the sixteenth week**

Shikamaru hated being Tsunade's advisor sometimes. He had taken the job in the first place because he was supposed to have a lot of free time but he constantly found himself doing many tasks that had once been Shizune's. Like picking up mail sent from the Kazekage. Troublesome.

He had walked all the way over to the mailroom and had to go back to the Hokage's office, making it, all in all, a waste of his time. As he opened the door to the blonde woman's office, he sighed and shut it behind him, the still sealed scroll in his hands.

"What is it, Shikamaru?" Tsunade asked. For once, she was actually doing her work. The pile of papers on her desk much smaller than it had been in weeks, her shoulders hunched as she read over an open scroll, and her honey colored eyes focused.

"This just arrived from the Kazekage." Shikamaru stepped forward, knowing the Hokage would want to read it. To his surprise, the blonde haired woman looked up immediately and held out her hand.

"Give it here." She only had eyes for the scroll as the lazy genius stepped closer, placing it in her open palm. Shikamaru crossed his arms over his chest as she popped open the seal and opened the scroll. Her eyes roved over the contents, her concentration just as strong as it was before.

"Is this about Naruto and Kyoko?" Shikamaru asked.

"Naruto and who?" Tsunade didn't look up as she continued to read what Gaara had written.

"Apricot?" The brown haired male supplied, wondering if that would help the older woman remember.

"Oh, her." Tsunade muttered. "Yes, it is." Shikamaru sighed, shifting his weight as he impatiently waited for Tsunade to finish reading the scroll. When she finally did set the scroll down on her desk, she intertwined her fingers and pressed the tips of her thumbs to her lips, thinking.

"Do I need to go get someone?" The genius asked. Tsunade dropped her hands and glanced up to him before looking down to the scroll again.

"Yes, I think Kakashi is on a mission so go find Yamato to get us into the compound. Naruto should be off duty right now." She frowned and then looked up to the male expectantly.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru didn't bother hiding his eye roll and turned around so he could go find the off duty anbu. They should have just given Tsunade the ability to walk into the compound whenever she wanted, finding someone to open it for them was getting annoying.

* * *

"Neh, Sasuke, let's take a break. You're wearing me out." Naruto exhaled loudly, raising his orange shirt to wipe away the sweat on his face.

"Five more minutes." Sasuke called out from the other side of the small training field. He pulled kunai out of the training dolls and looked back to the blonde. "You're clones are doing fine." Naruto raised his eyebrows and dropped his shirt down, realizing that Sasuke was indiscreetly staring at his abs.

"You say that now but you were so worried about it a few days ago." Naruto teased as Sasuke looked up to his face, glaring at him for having been caught ogling. "You've been gaining weight again." The blonde sidetracked the Uchiha and watched as the dark haired male looked down to his own abdomen that was now more prominent from his thin frame.

"I'm four months pregnant, Usuratonkachi, of course I'm getting bigger." Sasuke muttered as he walked back to the other side of the field. He handed half of the kunai to the blonde and kept the rest for himself. "You start." Naruto looked lovingly at the dark haired male before turning back to the training dolls.

"Middle doll!" Naruto yelled as he flicked his wrist, Sasuke following suit less than a second after him. Both their kunai hit the wooden training doll in the head, Naruto grinned and grabbed a second kunai as the Uchiha did the same.

"Left doll." Sasuke raised his voice to call out the next target, his movements so quick that the blonde couldn't see it from the corner of his eye. Naruto's kunai hit into the chipped chest of the training doll while Sasuke's kunai hit lower, where the crotch would be.

"Ouch," Naruto grimaced as he fingered the pommel of his last kunai. He glanced to Sasuke who stood beside him, smirking. "Last one!" Naruto threw his kunai without telling the Uchiha which doll to hit but frowned when Sasuke's kunai imbedded itself less than an inch from his own in the chest of the training doll on the left.

"Predictable." Sasuke muttered. He was smirking when Naruto looked over to him and raised his hand to wipe away the sweat on his forehead. Moving away from his partner, the Uchiha walked over to the knobby dead tree they were using to hang their second pair of shirts and towels.

"Satisfied?" The blonde asked. Naruto raised his hand and caught one of the dark blue towels to wipe his face again before taking off his shirt.

"Hn." Sasuke did the same, pulling off his shirt and wiping his body down with another dark blue towel. "I feel better." The dark haired male elaborated. Naruto stepped up to the tree and grabbed a second shirt he had brought with him.

"Good, I don't like to see you stressed." Naruto leaned in close and hugged Sasuke's side. Sasuke allowed it, bringing his hand up to the blonde's chest and letting his fingers trail down his body. "Like what you're touching?" He asked as Sasuke's hand lowered to his waistband. Not wanting to respond verbally, Sasuke let his fingers slip farther down under his pants, past Naruto's underwear where he could feel the happy trail of the blonde. The blonde inhaled sharply and pressed himself closer to the Uchiha before tensing and grabbing Sasuke's hand. Dropping his smirk, Sasuke looked up to the blonde questioningly.

"Yamato, Tsunade and Shikamaru are at the front gate, one of my clones opened it for them." Naruto sighed and stepped away from the Uchiha so he could put on his shirt.

"They have the worst timing." Sasuke growled under his breath and started to wipe down his chest and armpits. Naruto chuckled softly as he watched Sasuke put on his shirt, admiring the Uchiha's pale skin and his pudgy abdomen before it all disappeared under one of Naruto's white t-shirts. He didn't stop his staring, the way his t-shirt tightened around Sasuke's abdomen, it didn't stretch, just fit snuggly and made the blonde feel a tingling in his stomach. "Dobe." Sasuke said. He purposely placed a hand over his slightly distended stomach and watched the blonde guiltily look away.

"We should get going, right?" Naruto raised his hand to scratch his nose, knowing he was acting embarrassed. Sasuke grabbed the towels along with their discarded shirts and tossed them at Naruto before walking towards the main street. "Hey, don't be mad at me Teme, I'm not looking at you because you're getting bigger."

"Not mad, Dobe." Sasuke stated calmly. The blonde trailed behind the Uchiha, catching up to him as he tried to find a way to hold the towels and shirts in one hand

"You're not fat, Sasuke. You're just pregnant so I can't help but think that you're carrying our child whenever I see your stomach or your seal and I just get lost in thought-" Naruto started to ramble. Sasuke stopped walking, turned around and raised his hand to the blonde's neck. Naruto's first response was to go stiff, fearing he was going to be hit only to find his head being pulled down into a kiss.

"I'm not mad about you staring at me, dumbass." Sasuke replied softly when he let go of Naruto's neck and pulled away from him.

"Oh, okay." The blonde blinked in confusion. The Uchiha turned and continued to walk, calm and unflustered. Naruto watched him walk away for a few seconds, smiling happily before jogging to catch up to him. "What do you think the old hag wants now?"

"Something to do with the Kyuubi." The Uchiha stated calmly. The blonde sighed and raised his hands up to the back of his head.

"So she's found something to help then." Naruto watched the dark haired male nod. They walked in silence, Naruto not wanting to sour the Uchiha's abnormally good mood and taking in more of his clones' memories. "We've finished with the rest of the houses in the southern block, all that's left is to move the furniture out of the street and to the police station."

"How far have the clones gotten in the northern block?" Sasuke asked.

"I've opened all the houses but I haven't gone through most of them yet. I could finish cleaning them out by tomorrow though." Naruto dropped his hands and pushed them into his pockets.

"How many clones are you using?" Sasuke looked over to him. Naruto could see the Uchiha's hands twitch, wanting to raise one to his stomach but was obviously resisting.

"Couple hundred, it's a good exercise." Naruto shrugged his shoulders. They made their way to the front gate and as they turned the corner, dozens of clones came into view. Running past the original blonde and Sasuke, they waved, made flirting remarks, and Naruto watched as one or two of them grabbed at their lover's ass. What he didn't see coming was the violent uppercut punch Sasuke threw at him when the dark haired male turned around.

"Pervert." Sasuke grumbled. Naruto rubbed the spot where the Uchiha had hit him and frowned. More clones ran past them, sniggering at the original's pain.

"Don't take it out on me, I'm not responsible for their actions." Naruto whined. He glared at his clones, more and more of them passing in a never-ending sea of blonde clones.

"You're the original, they do any and all of the actions you would think of doing." Sasuke said pointedly. "You are completely responsible for their actions." The sea of blondes started to thin, allowing Sasuke and Naruto to see where they were going again.

"Still didn't have to hit me." The blonde grumbled. "I left Tsunade and everyone in the living room." He told Sasuke as the memory of telling them they would be there soon spilled across his mind.

"Hn." Sasuke answered. Naruto rolled his eyes and didn't respond, angry that his clones had ruined the Uchiha's good mood. Silence followed them all the way back to their house. Naruto ran ahead when they got close to the house and opened the door to hold it open for Sasuke. Dark eyes glanced to him pointedly; Sasuke still wasn't going to forgive him.

"Took you two long enough." Tsunade called to them when she saw them walking through the front door. Naruto could see Tsunade was sitting facing the doorway, Kyoko was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table again; it seemed to be her favored spot. Shikamaru and Yamato were both standing, Shikamaru closer to the kitchen and Yamato closer to the hallway leading to the rest of the house.

"Sorry, we were on the other side of the compound." Naruto apologized with a grin. "What did you want to talk to us about?" The blonde followed Sasuke to the couch, moving around Kyoko who looked to them sheepishly.

"I received a letter from the Kazekage." Tsunade reached inside the band of her shirt, pulling out the scroll. Sasuke's gaze sharpened on her and Naruto was thankful that he wasn't on the receiving end of that glare.

"You told Gaara?" Sasuke growled. The Hokage rolled her eyes, completely unaffected by the Uchiha's trademark glare. Apricot wasn't even in Sasuke's line of sight but she flinched at his glare and Yamato shifted his gaze, still unaccustomed to such intensity.

"Only about the Kyuubi, nothing more than he needed to know." Shikamaru interrupted. "He was there when it happened." Naruto grinned at him, Shikamaru didn't pull his gaze away from Sasuke but inclined his head, acknowledging the blonde.

"And he's a demon bearer, the same as you two." The Hokage motioned to the blonde and redhead with the letter before handing it to Sasuke, him being the closest to her. "I thought he might know something that could be beneficial."

"Well, what'd he say?" Naruto asked. He leaned over, resting his head on Sasuke's shoulder as the Uchiha opened the scroll and started to read.

"He's never heard of it happening." Tsunade answered. "But he wants to see the seals, he thinks the more people working on it the higher chance there is of finding a solution."

"He wants you to go to Suna." Sasuke muttered softly. Naruto looked up to his face, watching his obsidian eyes move as he read. "He wants both of you to go."

"Will we be allowed to?" Naruto asked. He looked to Tsunade for confirmation and watched her nod.

"With escorts, Kakashi and Yamato. You leave on the third of the month." Tsunade looked down to Kyoko who immediately looked away, biting down on her lower lip.

"A week from now, why are we waiting so long?" Naruto frowned. He glanced back to the letter Gaara had written and then to Yamato and Shikamaru.

"Kakashi's on a mission and won't be back for five days and he'll need to rest before he leaves again." Shikamaru answered calmly.

"How long is the trip to Suna?" Kyoko asked cautiously. She was running her hand through her braided hair as her other hand had a finger stuck between each of her toes.

"Three days, if you don't stop." Yamato spoke up. Naruto set his head down on Sasuke's shoulder and was thankful the Uchiha didn't roll him off. It would take at the very least three days to just get to Suna, and even then they would probably spend a few days, a week there and then the three plus days it would take to get back to Konoha.

"We'll be gone for at least two weeks." The blonde muttered desolately. "Sasuke isn't allowed to go, is he?" Naruto asked. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and Yamato shook his head.

"No he wouldn't be allowed to go, even if he wasn't in such a delicate condition." The off duty anbu shrugged his shoulders and them immediately looked away from the Uchiha, still finding his trademark death glare disconcerting.

"Ha!" Tsunade snorted. "Sasuke Uchiha in delicate condition." The Hokage grinned at the Uchiha and he of course, refused to look at the older woman.

"Is there anything else you need to tell us?" Sasuke spoke with a forced calmness, his glare burning holes into Yamato who was starting to sweat. Tsunade shook her head and he must of seen it out of his peripheral vision. "Then is there anything we can assist you with or anything you might need?"

"No, there isn't." The Hokage couldn't keep the amusement from her voice; she obviously liked it when she made Sasuke squirm. Naruto started to grow uneasy. The more the old hag pissed Sasuke off, the more it would be taken out on him later.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave now." Sasuke turned his glare to the blonde woman. "Do you need an escort back to the main gate?" Naruto wanted to smack his hand against his forehead. He was so fucked.

"No that won't be necessary," Tsunade stood up. "No need to get your panties in a twist, Uchiha." The blonde woman moved toward the door and Shikamaru and Yamato followed her. "As for Sakura moving into the compound, make sure you have everything figured out and settled down before you do anything."

"It's already being taken care of." Sasuke all but snapped at the woman's retreating form.

"See you in a few days, Naruto, Apricot." Yamato smiled gently as he left, waving to Kyoko who nodded nervously at him. They left the house, Yamato shutting the door behind them and as soon as the door clicked shut, Sasuke was off the couch and pulling the blonde by his shirt, nearly taking the article of clothing instead of the blonde himself.

"Sasuke?" Naruto cried out. He attempted to keep his shirt on his person but it was a losing battle as the Uchiha headed straight for their bedroom. "Sasuke what are you-?" He was dragged into their room and felt Sasuke jerk him around as he slammed the door shut. The Uchiha didn't say anything as he practically pulled Naruto's shirt off, pushing him farther into their room. Opening his mouth to try to ask the dark haired male why he was suddenly attacking him and found Sasuke's tongue already pushing into his mouth. Naruto reached up, placing his hands on his lover's shoulders and stepped back against the Uchiha's force.

"Shuh!" The blonde tried to call out Sasuke's name. Sasuke was pressing his body into his, their groins coming into contact and Naruto inhaled sharply through his nostrils when he felt his partner's arousal. His thighs met the mattress and both of them toppled over. His first thought was to protect the Uchiha's stomach, quickly rolling the male over with the force of motion. Breaking their lips apart didn't stop the Uchiha from grappling at Naruto's shoulders.

"Fuck me." Sasuke groaned hoarsely. "Make love to me." The blonde couldn't pull away from the Uchiha so he rolled himself on top of him, kneeling above him. "I want you to fuck me so hard I won't be able to walk straight." Naruto blinked down at the man beneath him, staring into his dark, reflective eyes as he tried to understand what the Uchiha was telling him.

"You want to remember me in you when I'm gone." The blonde exhaled with a smile. "Teme, we've still got an entire week." Sasuke frowned and grabbed Naruto's neck, forcing his head down.

"We've hardly done anything these past months." Black eyes bore into his, daring him to interrupt or try to stop him. "I don't want to be able to remember my name seven days from now." Naruto lowered his body carefully so that he was lying down on his pregnant lover, careful of distributing his weight on a pale, slightly distended stomach.

"Fucking you, I'm looking forward to." Naruto kissed Sasuke softly, barely initiating it before lifting his head again. "Making love to you, I will do so gladly." He kissed the dark haired male again before pulling away and Sasuke let him, knowing the childish seduction technique well. "But making you forget your name." Trailing off, the blonde grinned and licked his lips.

"Dobe." Sasuke slipped his fingers into blonde hair and tugged on it gently. Naruto placed his hands on Sasuke's sides and slid them under his shirt. He could hear his pregnant partner start to growl and pressed down on his head, wanting more contact.

"Let me see what I can do about that." Naruto lowered his head down the last time and devoured the Uchiha's lips. The body beneath him was slowly writhing, a hand of his trying to get between their bodies, in search for an opening in his pants. Naruto was only too happy to respond to him, grinding their crotches together and intertwining their tongues in a wet, sloppy, and extremely needy kiss.

All Sasuke had to do was dig his short fingernails into the blonde's hip to communicate his need and Naruto regretfully raised himself back onto his knees. Bringing his hands to his stomach to unbutton his pants, Naruto fought to keep his tongue inside Sasuke's mouth. His partner was doing the same, or so he thought as the back of the Uchiha's hands brushed his.

"You're shirt." Naruto breathed as he broke the kiss. "Take it off." Looking down, he continued to fumble with his pants and pushed himself up onto his knees, needing to use both hands. Sasuke wasted no time in undoing his pants and gripped the hem of his shirt to pull it off. "Ugh!" The blonde grunted and rolled off his partner to wiggle himself out of his orange pants. Sasuke tossed his shirt off the bed and followed Naruto in relieving himself of his own pants.

Naruto had practically ripped his pants and underwear off and quickly leaned over to their bedside table, grabbing lube. He dropped the tube on his pillow and crawled back on top of the Uchiha, naked with his already growing length brushing against the soft skin of the male below him. He moaned, the light touch gave him a tingling sensation that went straight to his growing erection.

"Dobe." Sasuke growled breathlessly. Naruto couldn't help himself, he had thought the Uchiha would be too pissed off to want to talk to him let alone have sex. Kissing his lover with unfiltered passion, he lowered his body on top of Sasuke's, he was sucking on Sasuke's lip and forcing his tongue down the Uchiha's throat at the same time. The Uchiha was responding with vigor, jerking his lower body upwards as he let his mouth be devoured.

Their erections were pressing together and the blonde couldn't stop himself from moving his hips, the more he moved the more he wanted it. Letting out another moan, Naruto let his hands wander everywhere; they were gripping the sheets, running up his lover's arms. He was massaging Sasuke's shoulders, trailing his fingers down his chest, passing his erect nipples for a softened stomach, cupping it without applying pressure. He had a thing for Sasuke's stomach, they both knew it and the blonde was grateful Sasuke wasn't pushing his hands away.

Sasuke's hands were resting on his shoulder and neck, his grip tightening every time the blonde pressed down too hard. Sliding his hands to pale hips, Naruto continued to grind their erections together, continuing to stimulate them as he pulled his lips away. His hands moved lower, skipping their groins for Sasuke's thighs, spreading them apart so he could settle himself between them. Suddenly, the Uchiha's grip tightened and pulled his head down into the pillow.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha." The dark haired male murmured into the blonde's ear. He was blushing; Naruto knew it without a doubt as his face heated up. Sasuke had been serious about that? He'd thrown it off as just teasing. The grip on his neck loosened and he pulled his head up, staring uncertainly into dark, lust glazed eyes. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow, challenging him and he felt his chest grow tight in excitement.

"Really?" Naruto held back his childish giggle at the blatant challenge, settling for a grin instead. Sasuke was smirking and the blonde raised a hand for his side of the bed, grabbing the lube. "Gimme a day, we'll see if you remember then." He kissed Sasuke's jaw and then began to nibble on it, knowing it was a weak spot. Sasuke inhaled, his hips jerking into Naruto's jarringly, making them both groan. The blonde nearly whined as he raised himself up on his knees, instantly regretting the lack of contact. He watched Sasuke attempt not to squirm as he poured the translucent gel onto his fingers and then watched in shock as Sasuke lifted his legs and held them up by the crook of his knees.

"Beautiful." Naruto couldn't stop himself from whispering. Sasuke's face was turning red but he didn't say anything, surprising him. The blonde was focused on the rest of his body, his barely round stomach emphasized by his raised legs. Sasuke's hole was twitching in anticipation and Naruto smeared lubed over the muscles. His lover went still, stopping himself from reacting to the cool substance and the blonde found this mildly irritating, it was another challenge his pregnant lover placed before him.

Before Sasuke could say anything, Naruto pressed a finger past the clenching muscles, thrusting it in to loosen them. Sasuke exhaled loudly through his nose, his whole body relaxing at the feeling. Dark eyes closed and he clamped down on the finger inside of him, letting his body react instead of his mind. Adding a second finger came easy for the blonde and he watched Sasuke raise his hips, his grip on the back of his knees relaxing slightly. Naruto loved it when he made Sasuke lose control but it was intoxicating when the stoic male didn't make the blonde fight to see his pleasure. He was adding a third finger before he realized what he was doing and Sasuke let out a quiet moan from the back of his throat.

"Touch me." Naruto commanded softly. Sasuke's whole body shuddered but he reached out with a hand and groped toned abs before he looked down and wrapped his fingers around the erect cock. He closed his eyes as the Uchiha started to fist him in time with the blonde's fingers pumping into him. A thumb was rubbing against Naruto's slit teasingly, making the blonde start to breathe harder, his wrist growing tired from the constant pace.

"Don't give it to me gently." Sasuke whispered to his lover. He pulled his fingers out slowly, watching how Sasuke squirmed beneath him at the loss. Naruto let his eyes meet Sasuke's, understanding the need in his lover's onyx eyes.

"I won't." Naruto let his voice drop to a rasp. His cock was throbbing in anticipation as he nudged Sasuke's hands off of him to move into position. Sasuke raised his fingers back under his legs and pulled them even farther apart, Naruto swallowed thickly as he grabbed himself by his girth. Brushing his head against the Uchiha's twitching muscles, he felt himself starting to leak already.

Sasuke was completely relaxed when he pushed into him and the blonde felt himself slide in to the hilt as the warmth around him tightened. Naruto could feel his mouth dropping at the sensation, it had been a while since the last time and his mind went blank. He looked down to his partner, forcing his lips to close as Sasuke's smoldering eyes met his. His pale skin was flushed pink, lips red and slightly abused.

"Sasuke," Naruto croaked out. "I-" He stopped, shuddering as he stopped himself from climaxing. It really had been too long since they had had sex, he felt like he would explode if either of them moved an inch and Sasuke didn't seem to be in any better of a position.

"I know," Sasuke murmured. Naruto looked up, seeing the nervousness in the tension of his facial muscles. "Me too." His voice was cracking and Naruto knew his pregnant lover wouldn't last. Reaching with a tan hand, the blonde brushed the backs of his fingers against the underside of Sasuke's length and watched his lover lose himself. Sasuke's body was tensing, contorting his limbs and body as his insides clamped down on the blonde's girth so hard Naruto lurched down, his eyes wide as he pressed his chest against Sasuke's. When he pulled himself up again, the blonde looked down to see the Uchiha's soft stomach soiled with a copious amount of pre-cum.

"You're so beautiful." Naruto whispered. He looked up again and found Sasuke's eyes closed, squeezed tightly. A pale neck was straining as his chest was heaving and the blonde lowered his head to kiss the skin, wrapping his lips around an ample amount and sucked.

"Nah!" Sasuke tried to call out. Naruto took that as a sign to move and he brought his hands to the Uchiha's wide hips, gripping them gently before moving his lower body. The Uchiha cried out again, unintelligible this time and Naruto could feel it with his lips, vibrating up the slender neck. One thrust, then two and he couldn't restrain himself anymore.

Lifting his head, Naruto pounded into Sasuke, watching the Uchiha's expression with half lidded eyes. The dark haired male was undulating beneath him, jerking his body upwards and dropping it on the bed as Naruto thrust into him. Moans and gasps coming from pale lips but he still refused to open his eyes. Arching his back, Naruto raised his upper body higher, seeing Sasuke ejaculate a little with every thrust he gave.

"Sasuke, you're really feeling it, yeah?" Grunting, the blonde tightened his grip on Sasuke's waist, watching as the Uchiha's legs rocked in the air with his pace.

"Shh-" The male below him gasped as Naruto thrust into his prostate. "Shut up!" Sasuke grunted. Stagnating his pace, the blonde put so much force in his thrusts that his lover was being pushed farther up the bed. Sasuke was groaning with each thrust now, his mouth open and drool dripping down his chin. He must have been overwhelmed, to be drooling and even more so to not bother wiping it off.

"But look, you're leaking so much already." He was grinning, enjoying the look on Sasuke's face, the way his insides clenched around him. Naruto could feel himself start to lose control, the pleasure rising with each thrust and he knew he was going lose himself to the pleasure soon. "Sorry, Teme. I can't hold out much longer." The Uchiha moaned in response, if he heard, Naruto didn't know.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to his lover's cheek and worked his way to Sasuke's mouth, slipping his tongue into his open orifice. He dominated the kiss with ease and reached for the Uchiha's engorged limb, grabbing it roughly before fisting it. Sasuke cried into the blonde's mouth, climaxing violently. His insides sucked Naruto in, making it hard for him to move but it didn't matter much, he thrust into his lover twice more before pulling out and ejaculating across an already dirtied stomach.

"Damn." Naruto gasped when he pulled out of the one sided kiss and leaned back on his legs. He released Sasuke's softening length and gently pushed Sasuke's legs to roll the limp male on his side. Sasuke let go of his legs slowly, uncurling as the blonde settled down next to him. "Fucked speechless, hm?" Naruto was grinning at the shorter male as he reached for Sasuke's waist and dragged him closer.

Sasuke blinked slowly, taking his time to recover and raised his hand to the blonde's toned abdomen, brushing his fingers against tan skin. Naruto leaned in to kiss the Uchiha again but felt Sasuke's hand press harder, shoving him away. He ran out of mattress before he realized what was happening and found himself falling out of the bed.

"Ow, Teme! What was that for?" Naruto cried out after he landed from the short trip to the floor, his feet still rest on the bed as he had landed painfully on his tailbone. Scrambling back onto the bed, Naruto collapsed on his stomach, frowning at his partner next to him.

"Don't call me beautiful." Sasuke muttered tiredly. He stared at the blonde, daring him to call him that again.

"Okay, okay." Naruto rolled his eyes. Of course, the Uchiha would find being described with a feminine word as annoying. The blonde huffed before lifting himself up to grab the box of tissues from their bedside table. Sasuke raised a hand to his hair, running his fingers through it. A comfortable silence settled on them as Naruto wiped their mixed fluids from the Uchiha's stomach.

There was a knock on their door, hesitant and soft. Naruto raised an eyebrow, got off the bed and Sasuke watched his backside as he retreated to the bathroom. Another few seconds of silence before he could hear the water running in the bathroom followed by more knocks on their door. Sasuke ignored the knocking, watching Naruto come back with a wet towel in his hands.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Kyoko's voice came through the door, extremely tentative. Naruto looked to the door and then to Sasuke, eyebrow raised. Sitting down on the bed, the blonde wiped the warm, wet towel on his stomach, giving Sasuke a look that told him to respond. The Uchiha blinked, emotionlessly staring back at his lover with no intention of responding to the annoying girl.

"He's listening." Naruto called out and then suddenly regretted it, not remembering if the door was locking and hoping it was. Sasuke shook his head and dropped his hand from his hair onto their pillows.

"Hokage-sama said that you had a mission before we leave." Kyoko's voice was nervous but the door didn't open and Naruto turned his attention back to Sasuke's stomach and legs, wiping him down. Naruto looked up to Sasuke's face but the pale male just raised his eyebrows, continuing with his silent treatment.

"Well, what is it?" The blonde called out after another few silent moments.

"Y-you have to take me to the academy the day after tomorrow so I can learn about Suna." The red haired girl's voice waivered and Naruto could hear Kyoko backing away with the creaking floorboards. Naruto let the information sink in as he rubbed the towel soothingly over Sasuke's pudgy stomach. Suddenly he raised his hand from the Uchiha's stomach and pounded a fist into his own thigh.

"Damnit!" The blonde cursed. "That's a freaking mission?" He turned his head to the door, finding it still closed but Kyoko didn't respond, probably already gone to the other side of the house or out of the house completely. Naruto looked over to Sasuke who was still calmly watching him with a tired expression.

"She's hiring me so she won't be walking around the village unsupervised." Sasuke's voice was quiet, tired and Naruto grabbed the wet towel on his stomach, running it down to the Uchiha's flaccid sex. Sasuke raised his hand from the bed and gripped Naruto's wrist calmly at the action.

"The villagers fear Kyuubi will escape." The blonde elaborated aloud, understanding the theory behind it. Sasuke could control Kyuubi with his sharingan and the villagers didn't know when she would snap like she had at the chuunin exams. "There goes our week of continuous sex." Naruto grumbled. He gently pressed the towel down on Sasuke's penis and felt the grip on his wrist tighten. Curling his fingers, Naruto wrapped the warm, damp, towel around Sasuke's stirring cock and grinned.

"Dobe." The Uchiha growled lightly. He didn't stop the blonde though and continued to watch placidly. Naruto teased him, squeezing the wet towel over the Uchiha's length and pressed is other hand on a pale chest, brushing his fingers over the soft skin.

"Ready for round two?" Naruto asked. He leaned over and pressed his lips to his lover's, lowering his free hand once again to the Uchiha's stomach and cupping the even softer skin he found there with a gentle hand.

"Sasuke Uchiha." The dark haired male whispered against Naruto's lips in a challenge. Of course he took the challenge in stride, grinning as he tossed the cooling towel off the bed. Naruto kissed Sasuke's lips teasingly before kissing his way down the dark haired male's jaw and neck.

"We've got what's left of today and tomorrow, asshole." Naruto teased. He grabbed the Uchiha's length, already half hard again, pumped it and felt Sasuke's body react to him.

* * *

**August 29th, still the sixteenth week**

"Let's go." Sasuke pulled at his short-sleeved shirt. He hadn't worn a short-sleeved shirt since his release from isolation and it felt strange but he would deal with it for the time being. Kyoko was standing a few feet away, her hands nervously twitching as she refrained from running it through her braided hair. The Uchiha pressed his hand softly against the seal and watched the barrier come down.

"O-okay." She looked over to him and then quietly opened one of the gates, only pulling it wide enough for them to get through. The redhead looked to Sasuke, begging him silently with her green eyes for him to go out first. He looked her up and down; she'd let Naruto's clones search for clothes for her without the Uchiha symbol. The grey t-shirt and black cargo pants fit her even if they were a little threadbare, she still refused to wear shoes, or so Naruto told him.

"You need a pair of shoes?" Sasuke grit out calmly. He slipped through the door, ignoring how his stomach nearly brushed the wooden gate and turned his head, raising his arm to reseal the gate when Kyoko slipped through.

"No, I like walking barefoot." The girl inhaled the fresh air sharply. She surveyed the street nervously, seeing the people walking past them with curious glances and looked to him for guidance. "I didn't have shoes in the mountains." Kyoko added quietly.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered. He pulled at the hem of his shirt, feeling out of place with his growing stomach. Walking in the direction of the academy, the Uchiha heard the girl following close behind and let his mind wander.

It had been a few weeks since he had been outside the compound but the heat was just as oppressive as it was in the compound. Summer still had its grip on the village, beating down on him in waves as he walked through the streets. It grew worse as the random few became a crowd and the redhead closed in behind him, he could taste her fear and it irritated him.

"Are we almost there yet?" The girl whispered frantically. As they passed people, Sasuke could feel their stares, the small gasps from elderly women and fathers grabbing their children to keep them away from Kyoko.

"Hn." Sasuke responded again. More and more people were giving him looks, making him feel even more conscious of his stomach. Finally, unable to stand the looks any longer, he turned around, pulled the girl by her shirt ahead of him and used her as a visual shield. People turned their eyes to him of course, but they couldn't see his stomach and that was what he wanted.

It was like splitting a river down the middle. Once they saw the barefoot girl they practically jumped out of the way and with Sasuke pushing her forward, they made it to the academy in a decent amount of time. Kyoko was hyperventilating when the Uchiha finally dropped his hand from her back but it had gotten the job done.

"Come on." He stepped past the gasping girl and into the courtyard where Iruka stood waiting for them. The teacher's stance was tense, arms crossed over his chest with one foot holding most of his weight.

"Hokage-sama said I'd be seeing you." The dark skinned male said quietly. "How have you been?" Sasuke could hear Kyoko's feet scrape across the worn ground to stand slightly behind him and saw the way Iruka's eyes tighten, refusing to give in and look at her.

"Hn." It was like Sasuke said a magic word and suddenly the dark haired chuunin relaxed. Seeming to sense this, the Uchiha felt his own posture loosen, his shoulders dropping. The teacher had probably been reacting to the annoyance he felt and mentally swore; he really was losing his touch.

"It looks like you've gained a little weight," Iruka commented immediately. "But your skin is practically radiant, has Naruto been pushing for ramen for meals lately?" Sasuke shrugged his shoulder, it felt wrong lying to his old teacher. He also had to force down the blush that threatened to reach his cheeks too, knowing the true reason why his body was changing. "You also look a bit tired, is our hyperactive blonde also to blame?"

"Something like that." The Uchiha said. Naruto had fucked him in their bed, in the shower, and one of the courtyards of the houses they'd been moving furniture out of. There had even been a few blowjobs to add to the list, in the kitchen, the doorway of a house and they were lucky Kyoko had nearly walked in on them only once. Sasuke was worn out but Naruto was adamant about making him forget his name.

"That's good, you must be itching to get out, having been cooped up in the compound for so long." The teacher looked to the redhead, and smiled at her reassuringly. "I've heard your nickname is Apricot but I'm not sure if you would prefer me to call you that over your real name." Kyoko had given up stopping herself and was frantically running her hand through her braid again and again.

"Apricot's fine." The redhead muttered quietly. She looked back to street, her braided tail whipping around her head. Both Iruka and Sasuke noticed her fixation and the teacher smiled gently, leaning closer to the two with his eyes set on the girl.

"I'd say they're more afraid of you than you are of them but I don't think that's the case." Iruka spoke softly. He was teasing her but the girl stiffened and jerked her head back to him. Sasuke looked down to the short girl, seeing her eyes wide, as if she didn't know how to respond to him.

"Can you just give her the information so we can get back to the compound?" Sasuke muttered. The teacher looked back up to him and smiled, seeing his discomfort and stepped to the side.

"Of course, if you both would like to follow me." Iruka motioned toward the school and Sasuke immediately started walking, the nostalgia of the school setting in. He could hear Kyoko following and Iruka stepped up beside him. Glancing over to the teacher who in turn glanced over to him. Memories came to mind, some that he didn't care to remember and others that made him want to smile. Now that he thought about it, most of his better memories from here were with Naruto, and besting him in everything.

Sasuke had the sudden urge to rub his hand across his stomach again. He stopped himself too late, his arm already reaching up to cup his stomach and the teacher watched, first in innocent curiosity and then stared. Iruka's innocent look turned into a jaw dropped expression, his lips parted just barely as he gaped at Sasuke's larger than normal abdomen. The only thing that comforted him was that Iruka was staring at his stomach as though it was the first time he saw it. He'd been careless, regardless that it was Iruka and he tried to keep his breathing calm.

"Sasuke," The teacher didn't look up from the Uchiha's stomach and they stopped walking. "You, it looks like-" He turned his gaze upwards, meeting the dark haired male's eyes, a full sentence forming on his lips. "Is there something that you and Naruto have done that I should know about?" Iruka asked softly. Kyoko stayed behind them, shifting her weight from one foot to another nervously. She continued watching them interact without saying anything, she probably didn't know what to say or didn't want to get into this mess.

"Yes." The Uchiha could hear himself saying. He didn't stop himself from settling his hand over his stomach this time as Iruka's shocked brown eyes met his.


	20. Suna Bound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The accuracy of the information of this chapter might not be accurate. I've never been pregnant so I can only read what other people have gone through and assimilate the information to Sasuke's situation.

**September third, the seventeenth week**

"Ow! Iruka-sensei!" Naruto whined as the teacher dragged him out of the house it was one Iruka and Kakashi were looking at to move into, just across the street from Naruto and Sasuke's home. "I said I was sorry for not telling you sooner!"

"He's already through his first trimester, Naruto! And you didn't even tell me, Sasuke showed me when he brought Kyoko to the academy!" Iruka growled. Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes at the scene but didn't say anything. It had been awkward enough explaining to their old teacher that essentially, Naruto had knocked him up. After that, the teacher had pitched a fit and Sasuke couldn't placate the full grown adult until he told him that he could move into the compound when Sakura did. This had been the first time Naruto had been unable to duck their old teacher since.

"Let it go, Iruka-sensei, they couldn't tell anyone. We didn't even know about it until after the chuunin exam debacle." Sakura sighed, her arms crossed over her chest in irritation. Yamato, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Kyoko were all watching the two men, the redheaded girl the only one who watched in shock at the sight.

"You let Sasuke attempt the exam in his condition?" Iruka cried out indignantly. He twisted the ear in his grip even harder, watching how the blonde bowed down, head tilted towards Iruka's ear.

"Ow! Owow! Iruka!" The blonde continued to whine.

"I guess this is a good time to tell you, the AFP test came back negative, which is a good thing." Sakura added when she saw the Uchiha's eyes narrow. Naruto looked over to them with a brief smile, having heard what their teammate had said before a look of pain crossed his face. Iruka had twisted his ear again and Sasuke stepped up at that point, setting his hand on their old teacher's shoulder.

"I don't want a chunk of his ear missing." The Uchiha calmly told the older male. Iruka didn't move a muscle for a moment before he sighed and let Naruto's ear go. "And it was ultimately my decision to participate in the exam, he wouldn't have been able to stop me." Iruka looked to him, concern flashing in his eyes.

"We better get going soon, we're late enough as it is." Yamato called out. Kakashi sighed and stepped up to the teacher, raising his hand to brush Iruka's cheek tenderly.

"You can move my stuff in if you want. I already gave my key to the landlord." The white haired man leaned in to kiss the other male and Iruka accepted it, blushing at the tenderness. Of course, Sasuke thought to himself, since Iruka was moving into the compound, the white haired jonin would move in with him.

"Ew, enough of the lovey dovey crap, I'm outta here." Naruto grumbled and stepped away from the two, rubbing his damaged ear. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and watched the blonde scramble for his heavy laid pack. His, along with Kakashi's and Kyoko's were sitting in a pile a few feet from the group and Sasuke followed him.

"You're just as bad they are, Naruto. I don't see why you're complaining." Sakura called out, turning her attention towards the younger lovebirds. The blonde had pulled his pack onto his shoulder and turned around only to have Sasuke grabbing his shirt and pulling him into a searing kiss. "See what I mean?" The pinkette called out.

"Well, should we follow everyone else's lead?" Yamato asked jokingly. Sasuke pulled away from his kiss to see Sakura pushing the older male away, smiling. Kyoko was nervously shifting her gaze around the group, unsure of what to make of the strange situation and Kakashi was steadily deepening his kiss, his hands creeping closer to Iruka's hips.

"Don't even think about it." Sakura rolled her eyes. She sighed and stepped forward, grabbing Kakashi's green vest and pulled him away from Iruka forcefully. "Come on, Kakashi. Time for you to take a hike." Sakura dragged Kakashi to the packs and looked to the only other female pointedly. Kyoko didn't need to be told, she grabbed her pack and hefted it onto her back with a small grunt.

"I left a few clones for you to help Iruka and Sakura move furniture, they're all at the police station waiting for you." Naruto whispered into Sasuke's ear before he pulled away, grinning at their third teammate stepped back from the Uchiha when she glared at him.

"Apricot, lead the way." Kakashi waved his hand at the redhead, his eyes straying back to Iruka.

"Bye, Sasuke." Kyoko called out softly. She turned before he would have had a chance to say anything back and started to jog down the street. Yamato followed behind her but kept his pace at a walk. Naruto started to walk backwards, blowing the Uchiha a kiss with a wide grin and then watched as Sakura practically threw Kakashi after them.

"So what's on the agenda for today, Sasuke?" Sakura asked. She turned to the Uchiha and smiled. "Viewing some houses? Picking out furniture?" Sasuke turned to her and slipped his hands in his pockets as he thought about the question briefly.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled down the street, everyone else had turned the corner but Naruto had stopped, cupping his hands around his mouth to yell. "I love you!" The blonde dropped his hands and darted down the intersecting street as if the Uchiha would throw a kunai at him.

"Getting your keys to the compound." He stated simply after a few moments. He ignored the way his face started to heat up and the way Sakura and Iruka were smiling at him.

* * *

He had seen Hatake Kakashi, Iruka Umino and Sakura Haruno go into the compound and now watched the white haired jonin leave with a man named Yamato, Naruto Uzumaki and Kyoko Suzuki. Anger and fear trickled down his spine; he hadn't seen the brunette male enter the compound. Had he missed others going in and out? How would he explain this to the elders? Of course, he had found the orders that the four were going to Suna, the prerogative of the mission classified to all but the Hokage. The elders had found the information interesting but his mission hardly changed. He was still required to get into the compound and find the reason the Uchiha was being reclusive, to find what they were hiding.

There would be a chance though, someone would slip up and leave the gate open long enough for him to get in and out. It wasn't today though, he watched as the male container resealed the barrier and the group walked away, the men talking amiably in quiet tones as the female container trailed closely after them, tense and nervous. The Uchiha would slip up eventually, leave the barrier open long enough for him to get in and get out. That would be his chance to prove to Mitokado-sama and Utatane-sama that he was worthy. He wouldn't fail them. He couldn't even begin to imagine what the elders would do to him if he failed, what they would condemn him to.

He shifted in his position, feeling his skin brush uncomfortably against his anbu uniform. Sitting in the same position for days on end in the same clothes was starting to get to him. To be able to take a shower and change clothes would be a comfort he could afford to take now that both the containers were not going to be in the compound for a few weeks. He'd allow himself one night to sleep in his own bed and change clothes. His hair was growing appalling under his mask and hood as the sun had beat down on him day after day. The skin of his hands was covered in dirt and bits of bird shit, he'd killed a few of them before they'd flown off for good. Then he could change out the bottles that had been piling up around him, filled with his bodily fluids.

It would all be worth it though, by proving that he could do this, that they could rely on him, would all be worth it. Konoha was his home and he would protect it from traitorous bastards like the Uchiha and the Kyuubi container.

* * *

"You okay? You're awfully quiet." Yamato asked the blonde. They had just reached the gate and were waiting for it to open and Naruto had gone silent the moment they resealed the barrier.

"'M fine. I don't like leaving Sasuke here." Naruto shrugged his shoulders and smiled tentatively.

"He'll be fine." Kakashi let his visible eye wander over to them and blinked as one of the gate's doors opened slowly. "You worry too much."

"Nah, I've got a feeling," The blonde paused when the door stopped moving and the rest of his group moved forward. "That something's going to happen while I'm gone."

"You think it's the-" Naruto and Kakashi both glared at the redhead when she spoke. Kyoko immediately closed her mouth, her posture going stiff when she realized she had almost slipped. "Well, do you?" She asked. Her face was beet red and she glanced up at the blonde in shame. They had passed through the gate and they could hear it closing behind them.

"No." Naruto turned his head, watching the giant gate swing shut with an echoing thud. "I'm not sure what it is."

"That's enlightening." Kakashi muttered.

"I can't explain it! It's just a feeling in my gut." The blonde pointed at his stomach, looking to his companions who watched him back. Kyoko looked confused, Yamato was smiling with closed eyes, choosing to ignore whatever he thought he should say and Kakashi was walking ahead of them, not looking back.

"Because that's never steered you wrong before." Kakashi responded again in the same manner as before. Naruto groaned before sticking out his tongue at his old teacher's back.

"Shall we start?" Yamato spoke up. Naruto smiled at him and pulled at the straps of his pack. Kakashi was the first to jump to the trees as the redhead started to ask a question but the blonde didn't hear much after her mouth opened. He'd jumped onto the tree right after his old teacher, following him up into the foliage. Jumping to the tree in front of him, Naruto turned and looked back to Kakashi and Yamato who had joined him on the branch while they both looked down to see Kyoko following after them up the tree. Kakashi and Yamato moved to jump to his branch but Naruto didn't move, blinking as memories from his clone slipped back to him.

"What is it now?" Kakashi asked. His visible eye blinked and he crossed his arms over his chest, looking bored.

"Sasuke dispelled one of my clones." Naruto answered nonchalantly. Iruka's outburst was replaying in his head and he had to stop himself from grinning like an idiot.

"Already?" Kakashi asked. "We just left." They all watched the redheaded girl pull herself up by her hands and swinging feet, grunting loudly while she tried not to fall.

"What can I say, the bastard was never much for a romantic." He shrugged his shoulders and saw the Uchiha's obsidian eyes melt into smoldering orbs in his clone's memory. Naruto started first this time, jumping from one branch to another until he'd picked up a frenzied pace. It felt good to go all out again, his team following behind him. Yamato and Kakashi could keep up but when the blonde looked back, Apricot was falling behind.

"How long are we going to keep going at a pace like this?" Kyoko called out. Her voice was just loud enough to hear her over the wind and he slowed down a fraction to turn around, jumping backwards as he faced her.

"All night!" Naruto yelled back to her. He turned around again, grinning as he picked up his pace again. It did feel good to be out and running again, he couldn't exactly go all out with Sasuke anymore but he didn't blame his lover. Naruto had been the one who enacted the seal and gotten him pregnant in the first place. For the time being though, it was refreshing to stretch his legs.

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sakura asked him. She was healing her thumb with her pointer and middle finger, a green glow coming from them. Sasuke waved his hand at her as he watched Iruka cut his own thumb and kneeled down, letting a drop of it fall into the circular hole in the ground.

"It's fine." Sasuke pulled the bloodied tissues from his nostrils and sniffed in distain. There was dried blood in his nostrils and he raised his hand up to wipe at it, Sakura grabbed his wrist and stopped him. "Better than puking." Iruka stood up, looking at Sasuke with understanding eyes.

"Has it stopped then?" The pinkette let go of Sasuke's wrist and placed two fingers over Iruka's cut thumb, healing it with her green chakra.

"Mostly. There are still bad days." Sasuke resisted the urge to blow his nose and have another nosebleed on his hands. "Make sure you relock the gate when you leave or comeback, there are still things I need to do before we take down the barrier completely." Both Sakura and Iruka nodded.

"Oi! Are you guys coming to get furniture or what?" Naruto's voice broke their relaxed conversation. Sakura whipped her head around so quickly in surprise, the Uchiha could hear the pop of bones cracking.

"Naruto! I thought you guys had left already?" The girl cried out in surprise. She stepped forward, towards the blonde with a raised fist. Immediately the clone started to back out of the room in fear.

"Ah! I'm a clone, don't hit me!" Naruto cried out. He raised his hands to cover his face, peeking out from behind them to see if Sakura was still advancing on him.

"Why'd you leave a clone?" Sakura dropped her fists but continued to glare at the blonde. She watched him drop his arms and tentatively step closer to them.

"I left a few clones to help you with moving furniture from the police station if there's anything you want. Sasuke shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting anymore." The blonde shrugged his shoulders and grinned.

"Actually, he shouldn't be doing any strenuous activity anymore." Sakura dropped her glare to look over to the Uchiha. "No more excessive training, Sasuke. I'm limiting you to mostly meditating and target practice, while standing still." Instead of responding, Sasuke blinked at her and looked to Naruto's clone. "Sasuke." The pink haired girl said his name as a warning.

"I've been limiting myself to that already." The Uchiha answered grudgingly. Sakura smiled and happily stepped closer to the blonde, watching the clone flinch as she walked past him.

"Good. Well, come on then." Sakura turned back to the silent Iruka and quietly stewing Sasuke. "I need a few pieces of furniture for my new place."

"You haven't even picked a place out yet!" Naruto frowned and looked over to Iruka and Sasuke. "At least he and Kakashi have picked out a place." The blonde muttered in afterthought.

"Well they need furniture too, I'll peruse and see what I like." Sakura called back. The clone rolled his eyes and stared at Sasuke as he and Iruka came closer to him, walking out of the courtyard. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and intertwined their fingers as they walked.

"Come on, you two. I don't know where you stashed it all." Sakura was waiting for them, leaning against the wall. The blonde stuck his tongue out at her and then walked past her in the direction of the police station. Iruka, who had been quiet for most of the time, fell in step with Sakura behind the other two.

"So you're Sasuke's doctor for his pregnancy?" Iruka tried to ask quietly. Sasuke could hear him though and his upper lip quirked upwards.

"Yes." The Uchiha answered for Sakura. He turned his head back to them with his lopsided smirk and turned around again. Naruto tightened his grip on his hand but Sasuke just leaned closer to him, tilting his head upward a fraction. The blonde knew exactly what to do and brushed his lips against the Uchiha's pale cheek.

"Tsunade's been having me train in the maternity ward at the hospital for a few months now." Sakura started to answer the older male's question. "I've read everything there is to know about chakra uterus pregnancies and if I have any questions, Tsunade-sama and Shizune said they would be able to help."

"I see." Sasuke could hear Iruka's voice, tense and thoughtful. The urge to rub his stomach came up on the dark haired male and the hand in Naruto's grasp twitched. He saw Naruto glance at him from the corner of his eye.

"You're worried, Iruka-sensei?" The Naruto clone looked back with wide eyes as Sasuke felt his throat constrict. He had known people would judge him when they found out about the pregnancy and he didn't care about them. Iruka was different though; the man had always cared for him and practically raised Naruto since he was a baby. The man had cared for them and if he didn't approve of them trying to have a baby, Sasuke didn't want to think about it.

"Of course I am!" Iruka cried out. Sasuke tensed and could feel the blonde's hand grip his so hard he must have been just as afraid as he was. "I've taken care of you since you were a baby, Naruto, and you, Sasuke since you started at the academy." Sasuke felt the blonde turn around and he found himself doing the same, meeting their teacher's eyes apprehensively.

"Iruka-sensei." Naruto tried to call out only to have it come out in a cracked whisper.

"No, Naruto." Iruka stepped forward, his face set in a scowl Sasuke hadn't seen since he was in the academy. "I know you've already been berated by the Hokage and Sakura but both of you are my students, my boys." The teacher stopped, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I don't want to yell at you. I know why you did it, and I understand why you didn't tell anyone. You decided to have a baby and I support that decision."

"You do?" The blonde asked. Naruto stepped towards him, extending his arm so he could continue to hold Sasuke's hand. "Iruka, we are sorry we didn't tell you." Naruto tried to apologize but the teacher opened his eyes and held up his hand to stop him.

"Stop, Naruto. It's not that I was mad, I'm worried that you two tried to do this by yourselves. You're both so young, just barely adults and a baby is a big responsibility. I don't even know how you thought you could do this on your own." Iruka dropped his hand and sighed, his shoulders dropping. "Not to mention that once it gets out that you're pregnant, people will come after you and will try to hurt you or even worse, try to kill your baby." The teacher gave them a concerned look and Sasuke's heart lifted. Iruka didn't disapprove of the baby, it was a relief the Uchiha hadn't been expecting but he was glad for it.

"We knew that was a possibility before we started trying, sensei." Sasuke relaxed his body as Iruka looked to him now. "We're prepared for anything that happens." He glanced to the clone that was nodding vigorously.

"I don't want to see either of you get hurt." Their teacher amended.

"They won't, Iruka. You and I are here, Yamato and Kakashi are with Naruto, the real Naruto and Apricot. We aren't going to let anyone get close to them." Sakura butted in. She gave Iruka a reassuring smile and then smiled at the two ahead of them.

"Right!" Naruto proclaimed. "We've got each other too." He looked back to the Uchiha with a wild grin on his face and stepped closer to him, hands still intertwined. Sasuke dropped the growing smile and gave the clone of his blonde a cold stare. Naruto wasn't dissuaded; he stepped closer to him and lifted their hands to kiss Sasuke's fingers.

"Don't even think about it, Dobe." Sasuke warned the clone. He could feel a lump in his throat and that damned prickly feeling behind his eyes but Naruto winked at him and pressed his lips to pale knuckles. As soon as he did, the disappeared in a cloud of smoke and the Uchiha dropped his foot from where he had kicked the clone in the crotch. He felt grateful to his lover for giving him something to focus on instead of the tears that were threatening to well up in his eyes.

"That was a bit uncalled for." Sakura raised her eyebrows at her teammate and stepped up to the dark haired male, Iruka following on the Uchiha's other side.

"He was asking for it." Sasuke started walking again and his companions falling in step with him. "The idiot knew he was pushing my buttons."

"Oi, you bastard! I was just teasing!" Naruto's voice came from a distance and Sasuke glanced to Sakura who rolled her eyes. They watched a few clones come around the corner, some angry and some were smiling at them. "Come on! We're getting antsy!" One of the Naruto's called out.

"Hold you're horses, Naruto!" Sakura called back to him as they came closer. "Geez, how do you deal with him when he's this hyperactive?" Sakura muttered good-naturedly.

"I beat the shit out of him." The Uchiha smirked in response. Iruka huffed at their conversation but didn't say anything. They all knew Sasuke would never really hurt the blonde. One of the clones ran towards them as the rest disappeared around the corner, heading back to the police station.

"Well that's going to be hard to do when I order you to bed rest." His pink haired teammate teased him with the threat. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and glanced over to her. "It's going to happen whether you want it to or not, Sasuke. Your body wasn't meant to carry a baby."

"I can think of other ways to keep me occupied while the Teme is forced to stay in bed." The clone of Naruto winked as he stopped in front of the three and bowed to them with a smile.

"Naruto!" Iruka called out indignantly. Sasuke glanced to him now, seeing the blush spread across the male's dark skin. The blonde laughed and pressed himself against Sasuke, his hands going straight to his distended stomach.

"Well, how do you think Sasuke ended up so beautiful and pregnant in the first place?" The clone rubbed Sasuke's stomach soothingly and the Uchiha let him for a moment, watching how their teacher grew flustered and looked away.

"I told you not to call me beautiful." Sasuke whispered into the blonde's ear and then punched him in the gut, dispelling the wide-eyed blonde without a second thought.

"Teme!" Several of Naruto's voices echoed down the street Sakura, Iruka and Sasuke turned onto and the Uchiha didn't bother hiding the smirk he had on his face.

* * *

**September 6th, still the seventeenth week**

He'd been asleep when it happened, the first time it had woken him up from the lighter part of his sleeping cycle and he'd been dozing off when it happened again. The second time had made him open his eyes wide in surprise and he was out of bed and stalking out of his house in the light of early morning. Sakura had taken up residence with Iruka in the house across the street from his while Kakashi and the rest of them were away. She had been debating about sharing a house with Yamato next to Iruka's so that she would be close by for Sasuke. What she really wanted was a small apartment closer to the shops but the dark haired male was glad she hadn't found one she liked yet. He needed her to check him, to check the baby.

"Sakura!" Sasuke yelled. He burst through the front door and looked around the still barren house. "Sakura!" The Uchiha cried out again. He stepped further into the house and listened to the sound of someone yanking their door open and the thudding of bare feet against old wooden floors. He looked to the stairwell for a light to turn on but it was the downstairs hallway light that illuminated the entrance way in the barely dawn light.

"Sasuke! What's wrong?" Sakura came bursting from doorway of the first floor in her sleepwear, pink hair askew. Sasuke had never seen her in anything but her normal ninja gear; he found it strange to see her in gray sweat pants and a pale pink short-sleeved shirt. Her bright green eyes immediately darted from his bare shoulder to the Uchiha's stomach and he realized he had been clutching his bare stomach tightly. "The seal's still in place, so what is it?" Sasuke turned his head to look at his shoulder, having only worn a pair of drawstring pants to bed and he looked back to Sakura who was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"It, no…he, she. The baby." Sasuke tried to keep the breathlessness from escaping but it slipped and Sakura stared at him, her eyes expressing the confusion as to what he was saying. The lights from upstairs turned on and they could hear Iruka coming down the steps. "It's a bubbling feeling, my stomach feels like it's _popping_." The Uchiha tried to keep the fear out of his voice but he knew he wasn't successful.

"Oh, that's all?" Sakura leaned against the wall as the tension left her body and she smiled softly at the Uchiha. "The baby's moving, no need to get hysterical." Sasuke didn't drop his hand from his stomach but glared at the pink haired woman once her words sunk in. Iruka came down the stairs, looking to Sakura and then to Sasuke, confused. His hair was falling into his face, his ponytail missing atop his head.

"What's going on?" Iruka asked. His protective nature kicking in when he saw Sasuke standing in the entryway and he came down the steps in his overly large shirt and black boxers. Sasuke hadn't dropped his hand from his stomach as he watched his old teacher look to him assessing his physical health critically.

"The books said I wouldn't feel the baby until the twentieth week." He explained. Iruka blinked in surprise before smiling as he realized what they were talking about.

"Don't worry, Sasuke. It's different for everyone and you're situation is, let's be honest, unusual. Having a chakra uterus and being a male on top of that." Sakura stepped forward and raised her hand tentatively, looking up at Sasuke's face for confirmation. When he nodded, the female ninja set her hand on the Uchiha's stomach. "Men weren't made to carry children, that's why you felt the baby move so early. From here on out, you're going to get big, bigger than you're expecting to get."

"I know that." Sasuke rubbed his hand over his stomach, frowning. "I had thought, Naruto would be here when it happened." The Uchiha couldn't keep his face straight, the sadness of the thought slipping through his voice.

"They're probably in Suna already." Iruka said wistfully. "It's so quiet without Naruto and Kakashi." Sakura nodded her head in agreement and watched as the Uchiha gasped and shifted his weight from one foot to another.

"Is the baby moving again?" The pink haired ninja asked.

"It's like a mix of something popping and fluttering." Sasuke grumbled. "I don't like it."

"Try going back to bed and relaxing, that should help some." Iruka tried. _Don't get stressed_ was implied and Sakura nodded her head in agreement. Sasuke looked to the older adult and then again to Sakura as he dropped his hand from his stomach.

"I'll try to. Thanks." The Uchiha managed. He turned to leave and then paused. "Sorry for waking you both up so early." Sasuke apologized. Sakura laughed softly and Iruka shrugged his shoulders, both silently accepting the apology. His stomach fluttered uncomfortably as he walked back to his own bed, wishing Naruto had been here to share the moment.

* * *

"Finally. I thought we'd never get here." Naruto sighed. They stopped in front of the gate, a chuunin from the village waiting for him. The sun was setting and the winds were picking up; they had been lucky a sand storm hadn't kicked up while they were making their way through the desert.

"What? We hardly stopped at all!" Kyoko gasped. When they finally stood still, she collapsed onto her knees and started coughing. Naruto and Yamato turned to look at her as Kakashi stepped forward to greet the chuunin.

"We stopped for a few hours every night, it took us an extra day to get here." Yamato spoke up. Naruto watched as Kakashi stepped forward to talk to the approaching female in Suna gear, wondering when he was going to see Gaara.

"I barely got any sleep! I'm dead on my feet here!" Kyoko was no longer gasping but she rolled onto her back, closing her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Well now you're dead on your back." Yamato reached into his pouch and then stopped, looking up to see the Sand ninja tense and staring back at him. Kakashi raised one of his hands and turned to look back at him with his visible eye. Slowly and without hostility, the off duty anbu pulled out a kunai and held it over the redhead on the ground.

"Ah, hey! Don't do that!" Kyoko rolled over and scrambled to get back on her feet as the older man replaced his kunai in his pouch. Naruto and Yamato both looked back over to Kakashi and the other ninja who had relaxed considerably when she realized they meant no harm.

"A ninja must always be on their guard." Naruto raised his eyebrow at the girl and tried not to grin, enjoying how flustered the girl could get sometimes.

"Says the one who never pays attention to his surroundings." Kakashi called out as he walked back the short distance to them. "She'll lead us into Suna and straight to the Kazekage's tower."

"To meet with Gaara?" Naruto asked. He readjusted the pack on his back and looked over the white haired male's shoulder to look at the female ninja curiously as she came closer for the first time. Kakashi moved to turn around again and stepped to the side to allow her in the group circle.

"The Kazekage, yes." The sand ninja sent a heated stare at the blonde. Naruto ignored her look and turned his attention to Kyoko who was bending her knees and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She had cleaned her feet every time they stopped but they had been going nonstop since they hit the desert and her feet were red, cracked, and blistered.

"Have you ever made a trip like this one was before?" Yamato asked. They all knew he was talking about her feet and she looked down to examine them.

"I trekked from the mountains to Konoha but that took a couple of weeks." The redhead frowned at her feet, seeing the dried blood and crusted skin covered in sand.

"Doesn't that hurt?" The sand ninja asked. She sounded concerned and was frowning at the younger girl.

"I lost feeling in them a couple of hours ago." Kyoko muttered and looked up to her, a cautious expression evident.

"When you stopped complaining." Kakashi muttered. Naruto knew it was a joke but when the Sand ninja looked at him with a sharp glare, he stopped himself from smiling and kept his gaze on the redhead who sheepishly smiled at Kakashi. She had gotten so used to Kakashi picking on her she no longer took the insults to heart.

"Half an hour soaking in water, they'll be fine." Kyoko readjusted the pack straps on her shoulders and inhaled deeply, a form of determination settling across her face.

"The village is this way." The woman from Suna turned, her glare lingering on Kakashi as she turned and started walking, picking up her pace into a run. The group followed her, Kakashi in the lead with the other three close behind. Trekking through the gate of the village was a little more nerve wracking than Naruto remembered. He could feel more than one presence staring at him, it made the hair on his neck stand on end and he was getting goosebumps on his arms. It got better as they quickly made their way to the Kage tower, the feeling of being watched didn't disappear but it definitely lightened. Apricot also seemed sensitive to the feeling, nervously glancing around her every other second and reaching up to her braid several times in the few minutes it took to reach their destination.

Kakashi and Yamato looked totally unaffected but the blonde knew they were more aware of their surroundings than they let on. Naruto would bet on them knowing where exactly the stares were coming from. When they reached the tower, Matsuri led them inside with cold politeness and shut the door with a definitive sound. Apricot jumped while Naruto stared at the sand ninja in surprise, the welcoming committee didn't seem, very welcoming. She led them up several flights of stairs and finally down a hallway in silence before stopping in front of what must have been the Kazekage's office.

"Kazekage-sama." The female ninja knocked on the door hesitantly. "I've brought the visitors from Konoha." She slowly opened the door and walked in, leaving the four to file in after her. Naruto stepped in after Kakashi, taking in the sparsely furnished office and large, open windows that let in the setting sun. Gaara was sitting behind a desk in the Kazekage's chair, his chair, in purple undershirt and white robes as was traditional of the leader of the Suna.

"Gaara!" The blonde cried out when the redhead male stood. He pushed past the female ninja, dropped his backpack on the floor, and ran around the desk to pull the man into a hug. "It's so good to see you!" Naruto murmured.

"Hey! You can't just-" The Suna ninja started but stopped when Gaara raised his hand at her and she stopped suddenly.

"That will be all, Matsuri." The redhead male dropped his hand and watched her storm past the other three ninjas before slowly returning Naruto's hug. "I have missed you as well, Naruto." Gaara awkwardly pat Naruto's shoulder.

"Shut the door, Apricot. There are some things we need to talk about before we retire." Naruto pulled away from the hug to see Kakashi turned to the door and the female redhead moving to shut the door.

"Yes." Gaara agreed. He moved to sit back in his chair and Naruto walked back to the other side of the desk, grinning as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Tsunade told me the Kyuubi was being contained by two seals. I've been doing research but haven't found much." Naruto dropped his grin and turned around to the two men and girl, motioning to the female redhead.

"Apricot, come here." Naruto gave her a small smile as she stood next to him. The Kazekage's forehead wrinkled as if he was furrowing his non-existent eyebrows. "Gaara, this is Kyoko, Apricot, this is Gaara. He's like us." Grinning again, Naruto looked back to his friend to see the corners of his lips twitch as he tried to be friendly.

"Apricot?" Gaara asked quietly. Naruto watched as Gaara's teal green eyes met the other redhead's bright green in a cold stare of confusion.

"It's a nickname she picked up." Kakashi supplied. "Why don't we get started?" He shifted his weight from one foot to another and let his visible eye glance over all of them.

"Already? We just got here though." Apricot muttered as her face started to turn red. She looked to Kakashi and then to Yamato nervously.

"It would not hurt." Gaara murmured. "If I could see the seals." He looked to Naruto who nodded eagerly and turned his head to the other Kyuubi container.

"Come on, just show him your seal." Naruto told the girl as he unzipped his jacket and pulled up his black shirt enthusiastically. Kyoko stepped forward cautiously, dropping her backpack from her shoulders and lifting her dirtied shirt up just enough to see the seal.

Gaara stared at them for a few seconds before he pulled a long thin tube of lead from the contents of his desk along with a thin piece of paper. Kyoko looked to Naruto but the blonde ignored the look, watching how Gaara started to draw their seals on the thin paper.

"Do still have problems sleeping, Gaara?" Naruto asked softly. The black rings around his eyes had not gotten any duller than the last time he had seen his friend. He was worried for the redhead, having gone from the pariah of his village to the Kazekage in three years.

"Yes." The Kazekage answered plainly. Not even looking up, Gaara continued to draw on the sheets of paper, unwilling to look up. Naruto sighed and bit his lower lip as he watched Gaara draw. The blonde wondered if his friend had found someone to be his special person, like he had found Sasuke.

"You have problems sleeping?" Apricot asked carefully. Naruto glanced to her, immediately seeing the curious interest in her gaze. Maybe Gaara and Kyoko could become friends, the blonde thought. Naruto saw her stiffen, her widened gaze immediately shifting away from the Kazekage to the floor. Then again, maybe not, he looked to Gaara, the man's expressionless stare still on the younger girl.

"Don't be rude, Apricot. You're talking to the Kazekage." Kakashi stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder, making her jump. "The equivalent of the Hokage from our own village." Naruto glanced over to his white haired teacher with a raised eyebrow as the girl dropped her shirt and then clutched at the hem of it, pulling it down.

"Stop scaring her, Kakashi." Yamato spoke softly behind them. "We're all tired and need some rest." Naruto watched his teacher drop his hand from her shoulder and smile under his mask at her. Kyoko looked up to him, her green eyes still wide and she dropped her gaze again. She obviously was uncomfortable now and it would probably take her a while to get used to Gaara's quiet, demeanor.

"You may retire to your rooms, Matsuri will show you the way." Gaara spoke up quietly. He dropped he led stick onto his desk and jerked Naruto's attention to it, the two pieces of thin paper already gone from the desk.

"Thank you." Naruto smiled and bowed. He watched as Kakashi's hand grabbing Kyoko's head and pushing her to do the same. They stayed in place for a few seconds, Naruto watched with peripherals for his friend to nod at them and he raised his head with a dazzling smile.

"Tomorrow, after the sun sets." The Kazekage muttered when Kakashi started to raise his head. He let go of Apricot's head and she straightened slowly, raising her hand to run it down her braided hair. Without another word, they all turned, the redheaded girl watching before following. Yamato opened the door and stepped through, holding it open with an outstretched hand until Naruto grabbed it and did the same for Kakashi. Apricot wasn't so lucky and had to dive for the door so she didn't have to be stuck in the same room as the Kazekage alone. Matsuri had been leaning on the wall opposite from the door, watching them file out.

"This way, I've been instructed to show you to your rooms." The female gave them all a cold stare. She turned and started down the hall, leaving the group to follow. Naruto glanced to Yamato with raised eyebrows; the man shrugged his shoulders in return. The woman just didn't like them, the blonde guessed.

"What was he talking about?" Kyoko whispered. Matsuri didn't turn around as they entered an echoing stairwell. Kakashi paused, letting the green eyed girl go first after the other female ninja and placed his hand on her shoulder in warning.

"Nothing." The one eyed male said. His tone was warning and Apricot seemed to understand that this wasn't the place to talk. She didn't say another word as they descended four flights and weaved through hallways. Matsuri stopped in front of two facing doors, turned around and glanced at all of them before holding out two pairs of keys.

"These will be your rooms while you're staying here, there are two beds in each room so no one will have to share." Kakashi stepped forward to take the keys and the blonde watched the woman glare at the white haired male.

"Thank you for your help." Kakashi took the keys and palmed them, glancing down to see if there was a difference between them.

"I'll be back in the morning to show you around the village." The woman was not excited about it and the blonde started to wonder if she'd been taken off active duty to do this for them. It would certainly explain her enthusiasm.

"Ah, that won't be necessary. I know the village well enough." Yamato raised his hand to point at himself with his pointer finger, the corners of his lips quirking awkwardly. Naruto looked over to the older male and grinned, no longer flustered or uncomfortable out by his companion's lack of social skills.

"Fine. Goodnight to you." She didn't wait any longer, turned around and stalked off and Naruto blinked in surprise. He didn't give it too much thought as Kakashi handed one keys to Apricot and took the other for himself.

"Yamato, you're with Apricot." The white haired male said in his most authoritative voice. Naruto watched him put the key into the lock, jiggling it until the door opened.

"Why am I stuck with her? Have Naruto room with her." Yamato tried to save himself. This had the blonde frowning at him while Kyoko ignored all of them in favor for unlocking the door across from the one Kakashi was peering into.

"Having them in the same room together for long amounts of time would speed the process of Apricot's seal weakening." Kakashi stepped out of the room, allowing Naruto to enter past him as Kyoko opened her door and stepped in, ignoring the bickering adults.

"They're been less than fifty feet from each other for four days already, sleeping in the same room wouldn't hurt." Yamato tried again. Naruto dropped his bag on the floor and turned back to the two in the hallway.

"Yes but having them in the same room would lead to more accidental touching and that seems to be the biggest factor in the seal's weakening." Kakashi's voice had taken a lighter tone, knowing he had found his secret weapon. Naruto watched as Yamato opened his mouth but the white haired jonin stopped him. "And I have no doubt Apricot would be interested in learning more about Suna, since you've been here several times and know the village well enough."

Yamato could only stare at Kakashi with an open mouth as he closed the door to his and Naruto's room. Kakashi dropped his pack on the ground next to Naruto's and sighed loudly. "He's going to have a fun time watching Apricot heal her feet." Naruto grinned at the mental image of Yamato's queasy expression. He jumped onto the bed farthest from the door and sighed, happy to sleep on a bed again.

"How that girl runs around barefoot every day, I'll never know." Kakashi shook his head and kicked off his shoes, heading for the bathroom that was adjoined to their room. Naruto watched him go and looked up to the ceiling as he pried off his sand encrusted shoes using only his feet.

"I wonder what Sasuke is doing right now." Naruto murmured softly. His shoes flopped to the floor and he could hear the shower starting up. "Wonder if the bastard misses me as much as I miss him." The blonde sighed again and stood up, realizing that he'd have to dump all the sand off the bed he had left on it.


	21. Maternity Shopping

**September seventh, still the seventeenth week**

Matsuri grudgingly came to get them as the sun was setting, it was the first time they had seen her all day and Naruto was actually kind of glad for it. She didn't seem to like any of them, him most of all. Naruto had opened the door when she had knocked and he stony expression soured, if that was possible. "Kazekage-sama has requested your presence, I'm to take you there." She glared at him as she spoke. Before he could say anything, the redhead turned around and took a step away from him, knocking on Yamato and Apricot's room.

"Better get your shoes on, Kakashi." Naruto left the door open. He turned back into the room to see his old mentor reclining on his bed, _Icha Icha Paradise_ book in his hands. "Gaara's asked for us." Kakashi didn't look to him as he closed his book and slid off his bed silently to grab his shoes. The blonde couldn't help but smile as he toed on his own shoes, they had been loafing around all day and he could tell his old mentor was still tired from their trip to Suna.

"You're still tired, Kakashi-sensei?" The blonde couldn't help but tease. Kakashi's good eye swiveled towards him as he pointedly put on his footwear. "Have you thought about retiring? 'Cause, you're not getting any younger." That earned _Icha Icha Paradise_ being thrown at his head. Naruto dodged it and turned his head to smile at Matsuri when her head whipped in his direction at the sound.

"Come on, Apricot." Yamato opened the door to their room and stepped out, already prepared to go. The blonde could see Apricot braiding her wet hair as she stood up from her bed. Naruto picked up the book Kakashi had thrown at him and handed it to the white haired man to stick into his vest discretely.

"How was showing Apricot Suna?" Kakashi asked Yamato. He and Naruto both stepped out of the room, Kakashi shutting the door as Yamato gave them both a pointed, irritated look.

"As much fun as you would expect." Yamato muttered quietly. "We finally managed to get her into some shoes." The brunette male motioned with his head to the room. Matsuri was pointedly watching Kyoko; waiting for her to leave the room so she could get on with her duties and Naruto followed her gaze. He could see the pair of well-used leather boots now covering her normally bare feet.

"The sand finally did you in?" Naruto asked with a grin. Apricot looked up to him with her wide green eyes and then down at the shoes, surprised by the question. She nodded in response and shut the door.

"Are you all finally ready?" Matsuri ground out. Naruto glanced over to Yamato, raising his eyebrows; someone was in a really bad mood. Splaying his hand out in front of them, Yamato bowed to her with a politely gracious smile. He was obviously trying to placate her but she just glared at him as she passed. Naruto grinned as Apricot followed the other woman immediately and Yamato straightened, obviously chagrinned. They followed the sand ninja through the halls once again in silence, up at least six flights of stairs; the blonde gave up counting them, and finally led them out to the rooftop. The sun was still setting but the heat of the day had already ebbed substantially, a cool breeze surprising him for a moment. From here he could see the entire village and the desert surrounding it, the sloping dunes of sand that stretched for miles, the darkening sky tinged with yellow and orange. What a sight.

"Come on." Matsuri looked back to them for a quick moment. She jumped off the rooftop and they followed her, Apricot scrambling against the tiles when she made a slipped landing. Yamato took a step towards her, preparing to jump after her if she fell. When she righted herself, she bit her lip and tugged on her braid almost ruthfully as she refused to meet anyone's gaze. After a few seconds, Matsuri waited for the younger redhead to get her footing, then jumped to the next rooftop. Naruto was the first to jump, Kakashi and Apricot following him with Yamato taking the rear, to make sure she wouldn't fall. They moved across the village, finally stopping on the outskirts, the old rickety building seemingly built into the protective wall that hid the village from the rest of the world and protected it from dust storms.

Matsuri dropped down to the street, casting a furtive glance down the street, both ways. Naruto did the same thing, far less discrete but there was no one in sight, not even the tingling feeling at the back of his head of knowing he was being watched by Sand anbu. A soft thud alerted the blonde that Kakashi had fallen just a foot behind him, then a louder thud with a resounding crack that probably meant Apricot broke a bone in her foot or leg. Yamato's soft thud came seconds after and Naruto looked over to them, noticing how Apricot was wincing as she kneeled on the ground, her hands wrapped around her ankle.

"This way." The sand ninja didn't bother stopping for the other redhead this time, she opened the door to the old building and stepped inside. Apricot stood up again, her face pale and lips pursed in a thin line but she walked on her own two feet into the house, following Matsuri first. Naruto let Yamato follow after the younger girl; he certainly wasn't going to take over the role of her caretaker. Inside the house was dark; there weren't any windows and only a single bulb that flickered randomly. It lighted the nearly empty room, showing that the dirty, dusty floor was littered with splintered pieces of wood and the narrow stairs in the far corner. Matsuri was already by the stairs, turned and facing the limping Apricot. He heard Kakashi close the door behind them, the room now only lit by the flickering light bulb.

"He's waiting for you upstairs." Matsuri spoke in a low voice. She jerked her head at the stairs and rolled her eyes. Naruto eyed her as he moved towards the stairs, watching Kyoko limp her way up them. When he passed the Sand nin, she gave him a harsh, glancing glare before stalking away from the stairs. Pausing on the third step, he turned and watched her open the door again, slamming it shut loudly behind her. Naruto opened his mouth to say something but a well-placed stare from Kakashi's one eye made him close it again.

"What crawled up her ass and died?" The blonde muttered when they reached the top of the stairs. At least this new room had a window that viewed the street, he could see the dying sunlight peaking through boarded up glass. Gaara was leaning against the wall right in front of the stairs and he watched them as they filed into the room. Naruto noticed the Kazekage's lack of formal robes; he was wearing his ninja gear instead. There was another singular light bulb hanging from the ceiling but at least this one didn't flicker.

"I," Gaara hesitated and blinked once. Naruto could tell he was surprised by the question and he suddenly felt bad for asking about it. "Couldn't return her feelings." That made the blonde flush and he could see Apricot move to a sidewall, still limping on her maybe still broken foot.

"Oh." Naruto raised his eyebrows and let his lips part in surprise. He didn't know what else to say. Yamato and Kakashi spread out, surveying the small room with forced curiosity. Gaara remained where he was, only his eyes moving as he followed them both as they walked around.

"It happens. She'll get over it." Kakashi nonchalantly. "We're going to need more light in here next time. Will that be easy to arrange?" He looked to the Kazekage in askance, waiting until the redheaded male gave a small nod. Naruto glanced over to Apricot again; she had pulled off the shoe and was pulling on her foot with a painful grimace as an expression.

"What are you doing?" He walked over to her, leaning down to get a closer look at her foot. Kyoko continued to pull on her ankle, wincing when a cracking sound resounded in the small room. It came from her ankle.

"It feels like I have a broken bone, or just a fracture." Apricot grunted. "I'm trying to give the regenerating process a kick start." There was total silence as the girl finally released her grip on her foot, dropping it to the floor gently.

"Are you an idiot? What makes you think that messing with broken bones is going to kick start the healing process?" Naruto frowned at her. She looked up at him, her rusty colored eyebrows raised in a helpless blank stare.

"I can't just sit through the pain until my body decides to heal itself." Kyoko shot back finally.

"Yes you can, you're just being a baby." Yamato shot back, obviously irritated. Naruto glanced to him before turning away from the girl, looking for a clear spot on the floor to sit down. Kakashi had already taken up a spot by the closed windows, having decided that this spot would be to his advantage.

"I can't do instantaneous regeneration like he can!" Kyoko pointed at Naruto accusingly. "I have to be seriously dying for it to kick in that fast." Naruto shrugged his shoulders and kicked at the floor, spreading the dust and wood out enough for him to sit down and not get a splinter in his ass.

"How long does it take for your regeneration to kick in?" Gaara suddenly spoke up. He was staring at Apricot intently and Naruto glanced between the two as he sat down, not knowing where this was going.

"From anywhere between five minutes to a couple hours, broken bones always take the longest when they aren't clean breaks." Apricot answered promptly. Then she glanced to Yamato, her green eyes wide, as if she was suddenly realizing something. "Is that important?" Naruto watched Yamato shrug his shoulders, obviously as lost as Naruto was as to why the Kazekage was asking.

"That wasn't the case at the chuunin exams, was it? You didn't look like you were hurt at all." Kakashi said. Naruto leaned back on his hands to look at his old teacher, realizing that it was straight to business.

"Probably due to the weakened seals. With Kyuubi's chakra leaking through it sped up the regeneration process." Naruto spoke up. Gaara nodded and pushed himself off the wall, pulling a folded sheaf of paper out of his sleeve. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it flying across the room to Kakashi who caught it with ease.

"That's all the information I know of related to the seals." The Kazekage clarified. Naruto watched as his old teacher pocketed the papers and pulled out his _Icha Icha Paradise_ book, deeming it a good time to no longer look like he was paying attention.

"Well, shall we get started?" Yamato asked. He moved closer to Gaara and looked over to Apricot on the wall, she was still grimacing when Naruto glanced at her.

"What are we going to do, exactly?" Kyoko asked. Naruto watched her lift herself up on her uninjured foot and hands to do a strange version of a crabwalk. She stopped when she got near the blonde and sat back down, avoiding her damaged leg.

"Meditate, try to find how strong the connection is between your seals." Gaara answered quietly. "Do we have a way to control the Kyuubi if he attempts to force the seals open?"

"That's my area of expertise." Yamato raised his hand and gave the Kazekage a half smile. Gaara glanced to him with a small nod and then turned her attention back to Kyoko as she opened her mouth. Naruto could see her lean forward out of his peripherals.

"Are we going to have to talk to Kyuubi?" Kyoko asked nervously. There was a small popping sound from her ankle and she winced, her bone probably slowly regenerated. Yamato sighed loudly as he slowly sat down in front of them, crossing his legs and stretching out his arms, preparing for a long sigil with raised hands. Naruto raised an eyebrow at him and Yamato tilted his head to crack his neck in response.

"Does he talk to you normally?" Gaara's forehead wrinkled and Naruto stared at him in surprise.

"Sometimes, when he's feeling particularly violent and destructive." Apricot answered. She sucked her lips into her mouth and awkwardly eyed the Kazekage's shins through his robes. "It's always when I'm asleep though, it's uh, a subconscious, conscious thing."

"That is so weird, Gaara." Naruto interrupted any response the male would have had. He raised his own and then raised a hand to one of his, scratching it as his friends eyes met his. "It's like you have eyebrows, but you know, you don't."

"Are we going to start anytime soon?" Yamato spoke up, already starting to sound agitated. "I'd rather not be in this position longer than necessary." He dropped his hands but didn't move from his position on the floor, staring at Naruto expectantly.

"Right, sorry." The blonde ducked his head in apology. He looked back up to Gaara, watching him raise a hand to where his eyebrows should have been, running his fingers over the smooth skin. "You know how to do this, Apricot?" Naruto tried to hide his smile and turned to the girl, watching her gingerly pull her foot closer to her body as she tried to cross them. Yamato raised his hands again

"I'm usually trying to ignore him, not trying to get him to talk to me." Apricot winced as she folded her legs beneath her, another crack coming from her leg before she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"It shouldn't be too hard, just focus on the sound of his raging." Kakashi mentioned. Naruto snorted and turned his head to give the white haired man a pointed look.

"How would you know? Do you have a demon fox sealed inside of you?" The blonde kept his tone light, attempting to keep the serious topic as teasing as possible and grinned when his old sensei's eye met his gaze and turned back around.

"I thought we were going to start." Yamato bit out. Naruto stifled his grin, hearing the irritated tone the older male barely tried to hide. Looking back over to Apricot again, he straightened and set his hands on his knees, starting to mentally prepare himself for a long meditation.

"I don't even know how to do this," Apricot's gaze shifted from Naruto to Yamato. "Even if I can find a way to see how strong the connection is, what will I do if Kyuubi starts talking to me?" The fear in her voice is almost palpable and not for the first time, Naruto felt sympathy for the girl. He remembered the first time he had spoken with the fox demon and if he hadn't been so angry, so intent on fighting Haku, he would have been scared shitless.

"Nothing?" Yamato raised an eyebrow at her.

"That may not be possible." Gaara refuted. Yamato looked to Naruto and the blonde could see that his red haired friend's eyes were focused on him too. He was the only one who knew what it was like, meeting and talking to Kyuubi.

"Well, whatever you see or hear, don't do anything and don't touch anything." Naruto finally decided to say. "I don't know what it's going to look like to you but Kyuubi'll be there, in a cage. Don't go near him." He glanced over to the green-eyed girl, watching her nod in response.

"Let Naruto do all the work." Kakashi called out. Naruto had to tilt his body away from the girl as she whipped her head around, her braided hair nearly hitting him.

"I was planning on it." Kyoko glared at the white haired man. Kakashi hadn't lifted his head from his book but the blonde could see the tell tale wrinkle in his mask that showed his teasing smile.

"Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way." Naruto grinned at Yamato knowingly and the older male rolled his eyes.

"Finally." Yamato muttered. He inhaled deeply before turning to Apricot. "You'll need to concentrate on breathing evenly. Close your eyes and focus on absolutely nothing. Shouldn't be too hard for you." The brunette man glanced over to Naruto with a grin. He answered with a grin of his own before closing his eyes, letting his body relax and inhaled softly. Not knowing if Apricot was following his lead, Naruto placed his hands on his knees, bowing his head. It had taken more than one of these lessons to learn that if he didn't, he would have a very sore neck for hours afterwards. Willing his muscles to lose their tension, Naruto delved into the darkness searching for the familiar place inside his mind.

As always, the sound of water dripping was the first sign that he had reached that room inside his mind. Sometimes, if he kept his eyes closed long enough, he could hear Kyuubi breathing and sometimes pacing. Naruto didn't wait for that though, the familiar sight of the demon's cage was the first thing he saw. "Wondered when you'd be coming to see me." Kyuubi's voice echoed in the room but there were no giant eyes staring at him from behind the giant bars. "Damn brat." Naruto didn't flinch when suddenly the fox's face came into view, his red eyes and fangs glowing in the darkness.

"Sasuke strengthened her seal, you won't be escaping through her." The blonde spoke just loud enough for the fox to hear him and refrained from letting any emotion slip through. Kyuubi's grin just got wider as he stared down at Naruto.

"And you got the Uchiha bitch pregnant." That struck a cord in the blonde but he didn't let it show, he'd gotten used to the fox egging him on at every chance he got. "What does a whining whelp hold against your unborn kit?"

"The other half of your chakra." The blonde answered. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop from saying anything more. Kyuubi's eyes twitched, looking the blonde over.

"Not in the mood to talk, brat?" The fox would have raised an eyebrow if he had one, or at least Naruto thought so. There was never a smell in the room, the blonde always thought it would reek of sewage but whenever he inhaled through his nose there was nothing. Sometimes he forgot that this was all in his head, literally, and found himself watching where he was stepping for human waste or something equally disgusting to step in.

"You talk to her, when she sleeps." Naruto didn't drop his gaze as Kyuubi's fanged grin practically dropped into nonexistence. An urge to smirk at the fox grew, he knew more than Kyuubi thought he did and gave him the advantage.

"That's why you're here." It was an accusation; no quips included this time, which obviously meant he struck a nerve with the fox. "Are you jealous, brat? Wishing I would whisper in your thoughts as you stick your little prick inside the Uchiha bitch?" Kyuubi opened his mouth, his fangs suddenly seeming longer than they had been a fleeting second ago. He had spoken too soon and it pissed him off, listening to the fox, or anyone for that matter, belittle the Uchiha. That didn't mean he was going to let himself fall for it and defend his lovers honor. Oh no, this was Sasuke's fight and he wouldn't hesitate to kick Naruto's ass for trying to after dealing with Kyuubi.

"Sasuke was the one who shoved you back in your cage when you tried to escape through the girl." Naruto glared up at the fox. "You're lucky he doesn't know that's what you call him because when he does find out, he's not going to just stand there and take it." Kyuubi's mouth closes as they stare at each other in silence.

"When will that be, brat?" The fox finally responds. "He won't be strong enough to use his damned eyes while he carries that thing inside of him." Naruto can't help but bristle at the demon's accusation; it was another obvious jab to make him angry. It worked though; Naruto stepped forward, closer to the dark, damp cage inside his mind and snarled at the demon.

"That 'thing' is my _child_!" The blonde bellowed. His anger was practically palpable, roiling just under the surface of everything. Even Kyuubi's chakra started to bubble up, seeping through the sealed entrance of the cage. Naruto curled his fingers into the palms of his hands, snarling at the nine-tailed fox. "And you will not talk about my _child_ that way." Kyuubi stared down at him for a long moment.

"Struck something sensitive, haven't I?" He finally said. The anger that had been receding flared again, his chakra once again slipping through the bars of the cage. Naruto wanted to scream at the giant ball of fur when he gave a fanged grin. "There are still five months before that kit is born, what would happen if the Uchiha bitch loses it?"

"Enough." The blonde let his own chakra flare, quelling Kyuubi's, forcing it back into the cage. "I have had it with you already!" Dark, clenching fear is spreading through Naruto's chest but he can't let it show or Kyuubi would never stop taunting him. He wasn't getting anywhere with the demon fox already and showing him the fear he felt would just compound the problem.

"Leave then." Kyuubi's response is sharp and commanding. It's another one of his tactics to try to get him to leave and it cuts through the anger and fear growing in the pit of his stomach.

"You think I've forgotten why I came here in the first place?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at the fox. "I know you can talk at her, which means there's a way for you to get to her from here. Somewhere inside that cage." Kyuubi lowers his face, the bottom row of his teeth nearly on the floor as he tries to look the blonde in the eye.

"Really?" The fox's red eyes bore down onto Naruto. This particular stare used to make Naruto feel small and insignificant when he was younger but he'd been getting this look from the demon for years. It hardly affected him anymore. "Rip off the seal and I'll show you." Kyuubi parted his teeth again, realizing that yet another of his tactics no longer affected his container.

"I'm not an idiot." Naruto scoffed. The fox lifted his head, his blood red eyes still staring the blonde down.

"Could have fooled me, letting the Uchiha bitch walk all over you. Letting him roll you over and dominate you like a female in heat before you filled the bitch with your kit." Kyuubi growls. His pupils narrowing into slits as if he's remembering it happening, it infuriated the blonde and both their chakras flared. The bubbling red seeping through the bars again as his nails dig into the skin of his palms and bright blue chakra swirling around him.

"Tell me how you talk to her!" Naruto yells. He's too angry to feel much of anything else anymore; Kyuubi's chakra is rising off the floor. They're standing off, both know that Naruto has all the control but that doesn't make the nine tailed fox stand down.

"No." Kyuubi states. That's all it takes to break the blonde's control and he takes the demons chakra using it to fuel his anger. The demon's teeth reflect the red glow of the chakra as Naruto lets it consume him. He's glaring at Kyuubi, staring into those slits of black and opens his mouth to curse the fox. The words never get past his lips, he's jerked out of the room in his mind and into darkness. His senses come back to him one at a time in quick succession, the world is still dark but it's because his eyes are closed. He's still sitting with his arms on his knees and it's cooler than he remembered it being, his sweat cooling on his skin and making him uncomfortable. There are other people in the room, Naruto can hear them breathing before he remembers who all is there. Opening his eyes, the blonde blinks and tries to shift his sore muscles. He's staring at Yamato as he bumps different parts of his body against his wooden restraints and the older man relaxes, the wood around him trembling before pulling away.

"Good to have you back, Naruto." Yamato lets his hands fall from their position in front of him and he slouches. Naruto leans backwards, stretching the kinks out of his back. Gaara hasn't moved from his spot behind Yamato but Apricot has moved farther away from him, almost across the room. She was facing him, sitting with her legs crossed like she had been trying to meditate.

"How long was I talking to him?" The blonde looked behind him, seeing that Kakashi had read three quarters of his _Icha Icha Paradise_. It could have been a few minutes or even an hour, depending on how long it took him to focus on the place where the demon was caged. Kakashi had either been reading or had jumped pages.

"Half an hour." The masked man answered. Naruto turned his head back to a comfortable position, glancing at the girl again.

"What about Apricot? What happened with her?" Kyoko opened her eyes at the sound of her name and groaned, collapsing onto her back.

"Kyuubi's chakra flared and shoved her over there." Yamato nodded to where the redhead was now laying. The girl lolled her head to glare at him pointedly.

"Other than that, nothing happened. I just sat here like an idiot for half an hour." Kyoko groaned.

"Nothing new." Kakashi added. Naruto watched as her head turned to him so she could glare at the white haired male even though she knew he would be unaffected.

"Did you find something?" Yamato spoke up before Apricot could say anything to Kakashi. Naruto turned back to him. His latest memory of talking to the fox demon coming to mind and he frowned.

"No, Kyuubi just kept antagonizing me." The blonde clenched his hands into fists and bit into the side of his cheek. "He knows what I'm looking for and he's not going to give it up."

"We'll have to keep trying." Gaara spoke for the first time since the blonde came out of talking the nine-tailed fox

"Right." Naruto sighed and straightened again. He smiled up at the Kazekage and realized he hadn't told the redhead about the baby yet. Gaara was his friend, probably one of his closer friends considering all that they had been through. Naruto would have a chat as soon as he had an unwatched moment with him.

* * *

**September tenth, the eighteenth week**

"Come on, Sasuke. Stop napping." Sakura's voice pervaded his unconsciousness, rousing him. Sasuke opened his eyes a crack, seeing the coffee table in front of him. A blur of pink hair peered in his vision, Sakura's face coming into view as he blinked and opened his eyes wider. "We have to go shopping for maternity clothes."

"I have enough clothes." Sasuke grumpily muttered. He started to move onto his back, closing his eyes. Sakura didn't seem to want to leave him alone; she gripped his shoulder and gently pulled him onto his side again.

"How many times have I told you not to lie on your back? It's not good for you." Sakura huffed at him.

"Hn." Sasuke remained on his side, looking up to her face in a sullen frown.

"Anyway, maternity clothes, for when you can't fit into these anymore." Sakura smiled down at him and straightened up. "I'm not going through the humiliation of going there by myself." Sasuke stared at the coffee table for a few more seconds, his body weighing heavily on the couch, his middle section an uncomfortable weight he was still getting used to.

"Buying maternity clothes will give away my pregnancy." Sasuke raised a hand to wipe the sleep from his eyes and tried to stretch out his limbs as indiscreetly as possible.

"It's going to happen anyway, might as well be when you're buying the clothes than when they see you in them." Sakura retorted. Sasuke didn't respond to her and flexed his toes as he rolled his shoulder blades to work the kinks out of his back. "You can't hide in here forever," She inflected a more serious tone in her voice. "It's not what I want for you, what Naruto wants for you." Sasuke wanted to growl at her but he contained the urge. His blonde would want him to get out of the compound, or at least be more social with their teammate and Iruka.

"Fine." Sasuke sighed and sat up. Sakura moved away, smiling as the Uchiha moved to stand up. "Where's Iruka?" Sasuke paused. He must have stood too quickly as he was starting to feel light headed. The pink haired woman was at his side in an instant, holding him at the elbow to help him sit back down.

"Teaching at the academy, today's my day off so I thought I'd come alleviate you some of your hard earned money." Sakura continued as if Sasuke hadn't had a dizzy spell. She knew to ignore it or have the hormonal asshole ignore her. Sakura watched as the dark haired male raised his hand to his stomach as he took deep breaths. Once he felt grounded, Sasuke tried again and stood without the feeling of dizziness.

"Naruto left most of his mission pay for me to use." The Uchiha supplied. He padded into the hallway, heading for the main bedroom to change shirts, he heard his friend follow him standing in the doorway as he pulled off his sleeveless shirt for one that would cover his seal.

"Are you saving money?" She stood in the doorway, admiring his rounded stomach as it disappeared under a black short-sleeved shirt. It was still too warm for him to wear long sleeves but he didn't change out of Naruto's orange shorts.

"For the baby." Sasuke turned to her, following her back down the hallway to the front door. They pulled their shoes on quietly, Sasuke leaning against the wall to do the job quicker. Sakura took the liberty of opening the door and walking out first, letting the Uchiha follow behind her.

"Oh, we're going to have to do another ultrasound test." The pink haired woman suddenly brought up as they stepped off the front porch. Sasuke paused mid-step, his eyes narrowing. "Oh, don't get like that, Sasuke. It needs to happen and the guy wasn't so bad the first time, remember?" Stepping down to the soft dirt ground, Sasuke passed her with an emotionless expression. Sakura followed after him, smiling. "Your appointment is on the thirteenth." She matched his gate and smiled innocently when the Uchiha glanced over to her angrily.

* * *

He was starting to feel dirty again; the one night he'd allowed himself to return to his apartment had been well worth it. Old age was slowly getting to him, no longer able to stand living in filth as long as he used to. Bottles were piling behind him again but his accumulating grime was nowhere near as bad as it had been before. His meeting with the elders would not go well, again. He had nothing new to report to them and it wouldn't be long before they replaced him.

The reason behind the Uchiha and the Kyuubi container going to the hospital a few weeks ago was still unclear and it irritated him that this was his one lead that he couldn't follow. He had seen the Sharingan holder parade the female container through the village to the academy, had seen the way he had interacted with the academy teacher up until they had gone into the building but couldn't understand what they had said to each other to make them react the way they did.

Iruka Umino, the academy teacher left every day but never forgot to relock the barrier, now privy to the seal along with the Uchiha and Kyuubi's container old teammate and Hokage's pet, Sakura Haruno. The Uchiha had yet to be seen leaving the compound since his visit to the hospital two weeks ago and he was getting antsy. How long was he going to stay cooped up in there, hidden from the world? It had been a month since his surveillance had started and the Uchiha had only been out once. The pink haired teenager had yet to come through the gate this morning and he had seen her come back the night before so he knew she was in the compound. He sat there, back hunched over, his eyes barely seeing over the roof's edge in a perfect view of the sealed gate at the least conspicuous angle. To his surprise, the barrier shimmered and disappeared as the gate opened.

Haruno and the Uchiha came out, which had him on immediate alert. There he was, the damned brat who didn't dare to show his face out in the world for weeks at a time was suddenly out in the open. Leaning closer to the edge, it was easy to tell the brat had gained weight, no longer a thin figure but stouter at his stomach and fuller in the face. Had the Uchiha done nothing but gain weight while he was holed up in there? He watched the fattened teen reseal the barrier and the two started down the street.

It was his duty to follow them but both of them were highly trained, skilled ninja and could tell when they were being followed. They knew standard protocol for stalking and the Uchiha was probably on his guard. He waited longer than necessary to move but they wouldn't be expecting someone to follow them once they were out. Being in the safety of their home village would ensure a lower level of awareness that he, as a retired anbu, had never given up.

Quietly, he crouched and jumped to the next building, following the trail of the two in the street. He kept away from the ledge, daring to look onto the street once. He could see them well enough, Haruno's pink hair a dead giveaway. They went on like this, rooftop after rooftop, still only daring to look down on the street every three or four jumps to make sure he was still following them.

He'd lost them twice but had found them when he went back to a crossroad. The streets were getting fairly busy, people milling about, going on with their insignificant, civilian lives but it was only a matter of spotting bright pink hair. To have such naturally bright hair was Haruno's downfall and he couldn't help but wonder how many more years she would live. Through the streets they continued to walk, seemingly aimless but he could tell they were going, someplace. It was hard to tell at first but it became clear that the pink haired ninja was leading the Uchiha. Frowning, he jumped to the next building and mapped the area in his head; this wasn't near any store either of the two teenagers went to on a regular basis.

Just where were they going? Throwing his caution to the wind for a brief moment, he looked up again and found them, missing from the street. Daring to step closer to the edge, he scanned the street, for any sign of the easy to see Haruno or the harder to discern black hair of the Uchiha. He looked up and down the street, barely catching sight of the fat male teen unwillingly walk into one of the stores. It took just one look at the name of the store and he stopped short, what were they doing in that shop, of all places?

* * *

"He's been following us since we left the compound." Sasuke muttered darkly.

"And I said let him." Sakura spared a glance at the building they both knew the man who had been following them had jumped onto. "Catching him and giving him a scare won't get you brownie points with the elders." Sakura sang sarcastically. Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes, was that what his Sharingan had been downgraded to? He could kill with a single look, literally, and she had termed it as a scare?

"Killing him wouldn't either." He spoke softly. His teammate had walked into the women's clothing store and he reluctantly followed her in. Several older women were in the store already; an elderly woman was helping one of them out, probably owner.

"You're pregnant," She said louder than the Uchiha would have liked and he glared at her when he felt the stares of the customers in the store looked to them. Sakura noted it but continued to stare at her teammate, daring him to interrupt her. "Pregnant people are not assassins."

"Most people that get pregnant are women." Sasuke shot back in a hushed tone. He didn't know why he was fighting with Sakura, he knew he couldn't attack the stalker, murderous intent or not. Maybe it was because he missed Naruto, or it was this irritated mood he'd been in since Sakura had made it her personal mission to keep him company.

"Are you saying that women can't be assassins?" Sakura tilted her head in another challenge. They both knew perfectly well just how dangerous a female ninja could be and Sasuke wasn't sure what his teammate was getting at.

"I'm saying that men don't get pregnant." The Uchiha growled under his breath. He raised his arms to cross them over his solid stomach as a movement in his peripheral vision made him stiffen. The owner of the shop was moving towards them, through the racks of women's clothing at a quick rate.

"Then explain to me your condition again?" Sakura smiled smugly and Sasuke glared at her. Instead of saying anything, he pursed his lips and bit back the response bubbling in his throat.

"Can I help you with anything?" The older woman spoke with concern. Obviously she was the owner of the shop and with one glance, he could tell she did not approve of them being there. It might have been because they were so young, or maybe it was the quiet but obvious fighting she didn't like. Sakura turned to face the elder woman and the dark haired male spared another glance at the shop owner.

"Actually yes," Sakura smiled warmly and Sasuke turned his head away from the two. The older woman had definitely been giving him a hard stare and knew that she had assumed he had knocked Sakura up. How wrong she was. "We're looking to get him some maternity clothes, the less feminine the better." His teammate spoke with a sugary sweet voice that made Sasuke's stomach churn.

"I'm sorry?" The older woman sounded perplexed. This was it, the secret of his baby was out and there would be no going back. His child, Naruto's child, would be the topic of gossip for every woman in the village before the month was out. Where was Naruto when he needed him?

"Your maternity section, please." Sakura added a tone of command under her light air and tilt of her head. The older women seemed shocked for second, glancing back to the Uchiha, looking confused. Sasuke just stared back at her, not willing to give her an answer. His teammate noticed the pause, easily saw the glance and turned to Sasuke herself. "Why don't we just go find it ourselves, huh?" This seemed to jerk the older woman out of her stupor.

"Oh, it's just there," She turned and waved her hand at the right side of the store, her expression growing into one of concern and disbelief. "But, did I hear you correctly? That _he_ -" Sakura was grabbing his hand and dragging him forcefully past the shop owner.

"Yes, you heard me correctly." The pink haired female's voice was far too sweet again. He stared at the older woman for a second longer before glancing at the other occupants of the store. All women, all in various stages of pregnancy, were staring at Sakura and himself. The insistent tugging on his hand made him look away and he glared at the back of Sakura's head as he was once again, led around like a pet. When she finally stopped at a circular rack, Sasuke pried his hand out of her grip and crossed his arms over his chest. He kept his stare on the clothes, bright colors and feminine patterns, none of it appealed to him. Immediately, Sakura started to look through the shirts, systematically shaking her head time and time again. When she looked up at him, he stared back at her calmly.

"Well," She splayed her hand out at the oval rack before lifting up a green and pink flowered shirt. "Either you start looking for something you want to wear or I pick them all out for you." Sakura raised her eyebrows and dangled the maternity shirt in warning before replacing it on the rack. Unwillingly, Sasuke dropped one of his hands and started to peer at the shirts disdainfully.

"They're all, so colorful." He murmured unhappily. Sakura sighed loudly and dropped her hand from the rack. She turned her head, grazing her eyes over the other customers who were probably not so discretely glancing their way and to the rack next to them.

"That's okay, Sasuke. Look, there's more, muted colors over here." She moved over to the next circular rack and immediately picked out a black, dress like shirt. He must have made a face because his teammate rolled her eyes and stomped over to him, thrusting it into his hands. "Go try it on."

"No." The Uchiha glared at the shirt in his hands. He looked up to Sakura who had returned to the new rack and was looking through the clothes again. He stepped up to the rack next to her, tightening his grip on the fabric in his hands.

"Do it, Sasuke. Or I swear I will go into the changing room and force it on you." Sakura muttered. She sounded irritated, was probably more irritated than she was letting on and he honestly didn't want to think about it. As if his day was bad enough. Naruto was still gone, he was getting fatter by the minute, and now his teammate was trying to get him to wear maternity clothes.

"It won't fit me for weeks, Sakura." Sasuke heard himself hissing. "And besides, are you really going to use physical force on someone who's pregnant?" He was glaring at her when he haphazardly returned the shirt to the rack. Sakura looked back to him, daggers in her green eyes as she now rummaged through the rack without even looking.

"If you would just go and try it on without complaining I wouldn't have to threaten using force." Sakura started to raise her voice. She dropped her hand from the rack and kept her gaze even, unblinkingly meeting Sasuke's black, endless depths.

"On a pregnant man." The Uchiha knew he was egging her on, he knew she would take the bait and relished in the released fury in those now jade cold eyes. This was the rise he had been wanting from someone, anyone for weeks now and, he didn't want it. This was wrong, he was trying to take out his anger, his bottled energy on her and she was letting him.

"Yes, on a pregnant man!" Sakura half screamed. That shocked the both of them into silence, staring at each other with wounded gazes. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." She apologized immediately, her softening gaze dropping to his chest and then to his stomach. Sasuke could feel the waves of guilt coming from her and his own chest was wrapped in the emotion, even if he didn't show it.

"No," Sasuke started. He noticed the movement in his peripheral vision and he glanced away just long enough to see the other customers look away suddenly. "I goaded you." Sasuke watched his teammate glance up at him with a weak smile and look away. It was the closest thing she had ever gotten to an apology from him, she would probably never anything so close to 'I'm sorry' ever again.

"Is it the baby?" Sakura asked softly. She turned back to the rack and started to glance at the shirts again, forgiving him silently. Sasuke pulled at the shirt Sakura had handed to him but let it drop once he saw the feminine cut.

"It's Naruto. He won't fight with me, it makes me anxious." Sasuke murmured. He didn't want to admit to it but now he felt obligated too, what had been going through his mind when he goaded the pinkette.

"And he's been gone too, that certainly doesn't help." Sakura supplied. She focused on the rack of clothes, looking through them without picking another one up. "You haven't talked to him about it?" Sasuke didn't answer as the woman moved on to another rack. Silence reigned over them for a long while, the Uchiha now actively looked through the racks, he even picked up a few of them before dropping them back for one thing or another.

"These are all so, feminine." Sasuke finally gritted out. He watched Sakura frown at the rack of clothes before setting her expression in grim determination. She picked one shirt, then another and worked her way around the circular rack before she had her arms full of shirts.

"We'll have to make do, here." She thrust them all into Sasuke's hands and then looked around intently. "I'm pretty sure there's a changing room around here somewhere." When she saw it, she pointed in the direction and looked back to the Uchiha expectantly.

"Keep looking." Sasuke muttered. He stepped past her towards the open doorway and ignored the looks all the women in the store gave him as he disappeared into a changing room. Sasuke would have tossed all the shirts to the floor in distain in any other circumstance, but this time he hung them on a hook on the wall and pulled off his shirt. The changing room was rather wide; enough for two people to fit comfortably and there was a mirror opposite of the door, revealing his thickened middle and the black swirling markings of his tattoo. Sasuke blinked in surprise, it had been a while since he had looked at himself in a full-length mirror. The one that had been in their apartment was sitting unused in a closet. It was unnerving and thrilling all at the same time when he ran his hand over his stomach.

Looking at the shirts, the Uchiha picked up the first one and took it off the hanger, pulling it on before he could talk himself out of it. It was black and simple with a high waist; the fabric flowed around his stomach. It would be a few more months until he'd be filling it in. Turning sideways in the mirror, he eyed the three quartered sleeves and thought about ripping them off, they made his thin arms look feminine. Even the part that covered his chest was droopy, where cleavage was supposed to fill it and he pulled at it.

"It looks like most of the clothes we pick out will have that problem." Sakura spoke calmly as she opened the door to the changing room, more clothes bundled under one of her arms. Sasuke didn't answer her, choosing to pull off the shirt and replace it on its hanger instead. "I got some long sleeved shirts and sweaters since I know you won't want to do this again and winter will be here before you know it." Sasuke gave her a look as he picked up another shirt, this one a dark blue and considerably less fabric than the previous one.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered. He quickly pulled the second shirt on, purposefully ignoring Sakura's gaze at his stomach. This dark blue shirt was far less feminine than the first and the chest was less, droopy as well. It was practically a t-shirt, the seam between his chest and his stomach was modest and the flowing fabric over his stomach would allow him comfort in the coming months. He watched her dump the armful of clothes onto the bench and started to sort through them.

"That one's much better." Sakura supplied when she glanced at him again. The Uchiha grunted as he pulled the shirt off and replaced it on its hanger. He picked a third shirt up before immediately discarding it, Sasuke Uchiha, wearing frills or ruffles? Not a chance. The two after that were summarily tossed aside because of their plunging V-necks. Sakura picked up the discards and gave them a careful look. Sasuke watched her tuck the three shirts under her arm and began picking through the mountain she had brought with her.

Sasuke quietly sorted through the shirts as Sakura came and went to dump more clothes onto the pile, taking the ones he didn't want back out. It surprised the Uchiha just how many of these maternity clothes actually fit him and were as neutrally gender based as they were. When he thought he was done, having gone through all the shirts Sakura had dumped into the changing room, she came back yet again. This time with her arms loaded with pants. He couldn't have been able to hold back his groan of frustration even if he tried.


	22. Touching

**September thirteenth, still the eighteenth week**

"I won't tell you again, brat." Kyuubi growled. Naruto clenched his fists as he stood meters from the familiar cage in his mind. He'd been in this time for a while now, long enough to know he'd be forced to pull out soon.

"You're going to answer me!" The blonde growled. Kyuubi's chakra started to bubble up against the bars of the fox's cage but Naruto didn't even bother allowing it past the seal. He'd spent the first few times being inside his own mind to get better at controlling the fox's chakra and it had been useful the dozens of time after.

"You can try to make me." The fox's grin widened. Naruto let out a huff of indignation, staring the nine-tailed demon down.

"We've been at this for days and you don't want to give anything up, what are you so afraid of?" The blonde screamed loudly. His voice echoed off the walls of the room and Kyuubi's blood red eyes narrowed at the accusation.

"Afraid of? You know nothing, brat." The fox's voice was dripping with disdain. If it was possible, his fists clenched tighter and he grit his teeth together to keep from blurting out something stupid. "I'm not afraid of your little pregnant bitch, what makes you think I'd be scared of the whining whelp?" Inhaling sharply through his nose, Naruto tried to maintain what little calm he had left.

"You're afraid we're going to figure something out!" The blonde growled. It had taken quite a few attempts to ignore the quips the fox had about Sasuke and even now he still had a hard time keeping quiet. "That's why you keep deflecting and won't answer what you know." Naruto's stare didn't waver from Kyuubi's as the demon's chakra crashed against the gates and seal or when the demon's fangs parted to respond.

Whatever the fox was going to say in response, Naruto didn't get a chance to hear it. The vision in front of him faded into darkness and he suddenly felt aching and sore. He'd been in this physical position for a while and as he tried to shift, his body pressed up against wooden restraints. Sighing, the blonde waited for them to disappear before he relaxed.

"Anything?" Yamato asked. Naruto could hear the weariness in his voice and shook his head. Opening his eyes, the blonde blinked twice as he adjusted to the small fire lanterns set in each corner of the room and still dusty light bulb above his head. The older male nodded sluggishly and both their bodies sagged where they sat. Naruto glanced to Kyoko who was still rigidly sitting, her hands clenched into fists as she tried to concentrate.

"Apricot." Naruto called to her. She opened her right eye and peaked at him. Several meditations had ended up with her either pushed across the room or toppled onto him. He didn't blame her for being wary.

"Nothing." She shifted her position, bringing her knees up to tuck her arms under them. Kakashi was in his usual place behind them, rereading his _Icha Icha Paradise_ book for probably the third time, that night. "I hear him all the time in my sleep but we've been at this for days, why haven't we gotten anywhere?"

"We're missing something." Gaara tilted his head, he had given up standing the third night and was sitting with his back pressed against the wall.

"That's helpful." Kyoko bit out. Her fear of the silent redhead had dissipated as she got to know that his calm demeanor was pretty much his personality. That was how Naruto knew Kakashi was right about her being too naïve.

"We know that the connection of the chakra is in Kyuubi's cage but we can't find it if you can't find the place inside your mind." Yamato frowned and stretched his arms over his head as Gaara spoke in his quiet tone.

"I'm trying! I don't know how Naruto does it." Kyoko spat out. The redhead's irritation was normal by this point but the blonde was immediately reminded of Sasuke and the pang of sadness in his chest hit him hard. It'd been too long since they had left, that strange feeling in his stomach came and went as he thought about his Uchiha and their baby. They needed to figure this out so he could get home and be with them.

"I think that's the most I've ever heard him say." Kakashi called out mildly. Gaara decided to give the white haired male a pointed stare; it was all it took to get Naruto's old sensei to stop talking.

"Kyuubi won't tell you how to reach Kyoko, why?" Yamato attempted to steer the conversation back to the point at hand. Naruto shrugged his shoulders, remembering the fox's tactics to evade his questions.

"Obviously he doesn't want us to figure it out, it's his first real chance to escape." Naruto sighed. "But he's been trying to avoid the whole subject of Apricot, it's like he's completely in the dark about her as we are." The blonde watched as Yamato's eyes sharpened on him and Gaara blinked.

"You mean he might not have realized that Apricot had half of his chakra sealed inside her until her seal started to break?" Yamato leaned forward, obviously interested in his new idea.

"Now he's trying to figure out how he was split between the two of you?" Kakashi spoke up from behind them. It dawned on the blonde then that Kyuubi might not have realized he hadn't been at his full strength all this time.

"I don't know, maybe." Naruto frowned. "That doesn't explain why Apricot can't talk to the Kyuubi though. Do you think there might be something in his cage that's blocking her from us?" He turned his head to Kakashi before looking back to Yamato and Gaara. "That would certainly explain some things."

"But if you try to get past the seal, it might break and let the Kyuubi free. We've been over this, how are you going to fix whatever it is if you can't t get in to see it?" Kyoko rolled her eyes in exasperation. Naruto felt the urge to grab the redhead girl and shake her by her shoulders, the only thing that stopped him was the memory of the last time they had prolonged contact. Both of them had felt her seal weakening, a resonating crack rattled around their brains as the nine-tailed fox's chakra oozed from where their skin touched. He hadn't been able to keep Kyuubi's chakra from slipping out and the loss of control was not something he wanted to be feeling again anytime soon.

"Why is Sasuke not here? His bloodline limit would be useful." Gaara turned his stare onto Naruto and the blonde sheepishly looked to Yamato as his face heated up.

"Well, you see, Gaara." Naruto raised his hand to scratch his head, reluctantly looking away from Yamato who was rigorously shaking his head. "It's, it's complicated." That seemed to be all it took to convince the Kazekage and he stood, Naruto mirroring him hastily.

"Hey, what are you guys," Kyoko started but stopped short. Sand was creeping into the room through the floorboards and cracks in the barred window. She paled and watched in horror as the sand accumulated around Naruto, Gaara stepping closer to him and into the middle of the swirling sand. "He can do that?" Naruto grinned at her when she heard her cry.

"Don't worry Apricot, we're just going to talk for a little. Why don't you keep trying to find Kyuubi?" Naruto watched as the sand obscured her from his view, rising above his head and surrounding the Kazekage and himself. The sound of sand condensing around him ensued, covering any noise anyone made outside of the sphere.

There was no light, the sphere would be a complete fortress but that didn't worry the blonde; Gaara wouldn't let them suffocate and wouldn't squeeze him to death. Once the scratching sound of the sand died down, it was just the redhead and he, where they could talk privately.

"Why is Sasuke not with you?" Gaara asked again. Even though Naruto knew the redhead couldn't see him, he scratched his head nervously.

"So, a couple of months ago I told Sasuke that I wanted to have a kid with him, you know, just pillow talk, and he got all serious about it. If we wanted to use a surrogate or if I wanted to ask Sakura to carry our kid for nine months." He knew he was rambling, playing with the hem if his jacket as Gaara patiently waited for him to explain. "And after a few days of talking about it, I said I wouldn't mind if he got pregnant, you know, I was teasing to get him in the mood, I joked about wanting to practice." The blonde paused. Gaara had yet to say anything and Naruto couldn't tell if his friend had figured where he was going with this so he could stop talking but when the silence started to get awkward he started again.

"A week later Sasuke showed me a scroll he'd taken from the Hokage's forbidden scroll room, don't ask me how he got in there in the first place with an anbu team watching him constantly but he did. Sasuke said that if I could get him a few more of the scrolls, he could rig up a technique that would let him, ya'know, get pregnant, technically." Naruto nervously listened for any kind of reaction that he could hear in the pitch black.

"You're saying that," The Kazekage paused long enough for Naruto to interrupt him.

"The seal activated like, four or five months ago, and then there was the chuunin exams. Sasuke wanted to do it 'cause you know he could do it in his sleep now and even pregnant he got through fine. But then there was this whole thing with Apricot having Kyuubi's other half that we had to take care of, which, you saw during the third exam and have to deal with now." The blonde inhaled deeply to give the redhead time to respond.

"He's carrying your child?" Gaara's voice was soft, his deep voice rumbling over his words. "Sasuke is doing that for you?"

"Yeah, it's too risky for him to travel that's why he couldn't come." Naruto answered almost breathlessly. He was pretty sure the Kazekage could hear the smile in his voice. "Well, I'm pretty sure he wants to start a family as much as I do but it's crazy isn't it? I didn't know he'd go this far for, you know, for us."

"Congratulations," Gaara's voice was quiet and without his sight, Naruto wasn't sure what his friend was thinking. "I'm happy for you, that you have him."

"Thanks," The blonde started, feeling suddenly awkward. "I'm sure you'll find somebody too, or have you?" Even in complete darkness the urge to scratch the back of his head was hard to ignore in the silence. "Is it someone from Konoha?"

"Yes." Gaara murmured. The blonde could feel his eyes widen, so that was why Matsuri had been so hostile towards them ever since they had arrived. She probably thought it was one of them.

"Oh," Naruto turned his head back to the redhead's voice in surprise. He had a pretty good idea of who it could be that had caught his friend's attention but then again, he could be wrong. "It's not me, is it?"

"No." Gaara murmured. The sand started to shift, particles of it already falling from above Naruto's head and into his hair.

"You might want talk to Matsuri about why you couldn't return her feelings. It might ease some of the tension between you two." Naruto tried to keep his voice at a low decibel as the sand shuddered around them and started to recede. Light was breaking through the falling enclosure of sand and the blonde could see Gaara give him a small nod.

"Everything okay?" Kakashi's voice sounded particularly bored. Naruto glanced to him, and then turned his gaze in the same direction as the grey haired teacher. Apricot had backed herself against the nearest wall, her face pale and eyes wide. Her hand was clutching onto the braid of her hair

"I don't see what the big deal is, you did just fine with him before and even then you knew he was a demon container like yourself." Yamato rolled his eyes but didn't say anything else when Gaara turned his gaze to him.

"Yeah, before I knew he controlled sand and could crush me!" The girl yelped. She wrapped her arms around her knees and gave the Kazekage one more careful look before squeezing her eyes shut and tucking her head between her knees.

"Calm down, you're overreacting." Naruto sighed when her breathing grew labored. "Gaara's not going to hurt you." The blonde stepped over to the girl and kneeled down beside her. Kyoko breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth but kept her eyes shut tightly.

"Are you having a panic attack?" Kakashi asked in a soft voice. Naruto could hear the annoyance underlying his tone but Apricot didn't seem to catch onto it and lifted her head long enough to shake her head in response. They remained quiet awkwardly for a few minutes, allowing the redheaded girl to calm down on her own. Naruto moved away from her, getting tired of kneeling.

"We should keep trying to figure out a way for Apricot to get to Kyuubi. Did you guys come up with something while I was talking to Gaara?" Naruto asked. Kakashi pointedly returned his attention to his book and Yamato shrugged his shoulders.

"She clammed up as soon as you guys were completely in the shell of sand and Kakashi hasn't been any help since we got here." Yamato shifted from his position, stretching his legs out and leaning back with his weight on his hands. Naruto sighed and sat back down in front of the brown haired man.

"Okay, so let's brainstorm while Apricot tries to calm down." The blonde looked over to Gaara, pleading silently that he would have at least one idea to contribute. The Kazekage finally turned his head away from Yamato and looked to Naruto with a blank expression.

"We've been trying to get her to get to Kyuubi the same way you do," Gaara's forehead started to wrinkle and Naruto got the impression that if he had eyebrows, they'd be furrowed. "What if we tried something else?"

"Like what?" Yamato asked. "Where do we even begin?" The man sounded tired and Naruto didn't blame him. They had been doing this night after night for days now; having to contain Kyuubi's chakra again and again must have been wearing him thin. They'd have to take a break for a day or two, as much as he wanted to get back to Sasuke, it just wasn't fair to the older man to keep pushing him like this when it wasn't getting them anywhere.

"When we touch, the two parts of Kyuubi's chakra connect and start to break down my seal." Apricot's voice came out in a high pitch. "Is that a good place to start?" She had opened her eyes but her face was still pale and raised one hand to her braided hair again, running her fingers across the spiked strap.

"We already figured that out." Naruto frowned. "What does that have to do with getting you to Kyuubi?" The blonde tried to ignore the twinge in his stomach that had been affecting him on and off since they had left Konoha. Whatever the feeling was, it wasn't just going to go away and he wouldn't feel at ease until it did which of course meant getting back as soon as possible.

"Kyuubi's chakra is split into two halves, one inside of her and one inside of you." Gaara murmured. "Maybe, she can't talk to Kyuubi because she's not housing his consciousness." The redhead tilted his head to the girl but didn't bother looking at her.

"Because Kyuubi's consciousness is inside me." Naruto nodded at the realization. "I never thought about it like that before. That doesn't explain why Apricot can here him when she's sleeping though." The blonde looked over to Kyoko again. She had closed her eyes and was doing the breathing exercise but at least she wasn't freaking out anymore.

"Who knows, could be the effect of the connection of chakra. It might have even something to do with her subconscious." Kakashi shrugged his shoulders but he had set his book down which meant they were probably onto something or at least something worth listening to. "What it does tell us though, is that it's maybe possible to connect Kyuubi's consciousness to Apricot if they touch."

"So we're going to try it while they're physically touching." Yamato said in a flat tone. "It will weaken the seal." The blonde sighed and crossed his arms over his chest and he could see the only girl in the room move from the corner of his eye.

"Well, we've gotten nowhere with the meditating, might as well try something new." Naruto looked over to the girl and nodded to her when she looked back at him with a wary gaze. Apricot had dropped her legs to stretch them out across the dirty floor, her bare feet just inches shy of her borrowed shoes but her hand was still on her braid.

"What if we only do it for a few minutes? It won't completely undo the seal, just wear it down some." Kyoko spoke softly. She glanced at Yamato since it was going to be his decision about whether they do this or not. It all relied on his ability to keep Kyuubi's chakra from slipping too far out of Naruto's grasp.

"Do we have any other ideas?" Gaara asked. The blonde looked over to him and then at Kakashi who had picked up his book again and was leafing through the pages as he found his starting spot.

"I guess not." Yamato sighed. He tucked his legs back into a crossed position and straightened his back, preparing for another round of Naruto's meditation.

"At least none on how to get Kyuubi's chakra out without it killing me." Apricot spoke up bitterly. She stood and moved to sit next to Naruto, as far away from Gaara as she could be. The redheaded female was careful not to touch him and licked her lips in nervous anticipation.

"Ready, Yamato?" Naruto asked. The brown haired male immediately gave him a dirty look and inhaled sharply before letting out a slow exhale.

"Make this attempt count, we can't afford to do this too many times without the proper equipment if the seal breaks." The dark haired male opened his eyes as he spoke and relaxed his hands on his knees, nodding to Naruto in signal that he was ready.

"Skin to skin contact, wake us up in ten minutes so we can see how fast the seal will deteriorate." Naruto held out his hand for Apricot to take and closed his eyes, centering himself for the now overly familiar trip into his mind. As soon as she set her own open palm into his he delved deep, the world outside of his body disappearing from his senses. It wasn't long before he opened his eyes at the sound of water dripping.

"Back again, brat?" Kyuubi's growl sounded distracted and Naruto frowned. He could feel the difference this time. The fox's chakra was thrumming behind the sealed gate, stronger than it had been since they had first arrived in Suna. It wasn't just the demon's chakra; there was a feeling of pressure that hadn't been there before. The blonde frowned and tried to reach out into his mind to feel where the excess chakra and pressure was coming from.

"You feel her now, don't you?" Naruto asked. He would have sighed in relief that they were finally getting somewhere if he wasn't focused on trying to find Apricot in his mind. There was a strange, tingling sensation in the palm of his hand and he scratched at it nervously.

"The rest of my chakra you mean?" Kyuubi snarled. His chakra flared and pressed up against the cage, boiling against the bars since Naruto refused to let it loose. They were already taking the chance of prolonged contact with Apricot and that would weaken her seal at a greater rate than before. He wasn't going to add any more risk on top of that.

"Oh, calm down you oversized fur ball. You didn't miss it until you knew it was gone." The blonde snapped at the fox. Kyuubi's pupils narrowing into thin lines as he stared angrily at his human container and a rumble rose from the demon's throat.

"Naruto?" Apricot's voice echoed over the fox's growling and Naruto turned around the room, looking for the owner of the voice. The fox moved inside his cage but the blonde was too busy looking for Apricot to pay attention to what he was doing.

"Where are you, Apricot?" He called out loudly. Naruto spun in a full circle, and then turned his head again. She wasn't in the room. The echo of the girl's voice had seemed to come from inside the cage and he tried to look into the darkness, past Kyuubi's glowing fangs and bright red eyes.

"Yes, where are you, little bitch?" Kyuubi turned his head, his fangs opening as he voiced his thoughts. "Come out and show yourself, so I can kill you!" An echoing squeak came after the demon's proclamation and the blonde was almost certain that it came from the other side of the bars.

"Don't listen to him, as long as you don't open the seal he can't touch you." Naruto stepped closer to the nine-tailed demon's cage and glared at the fox before trying to look see into the darkness. The fox was turned in his cage, having heard the echo and Naruto was facing a wall of red, bubbling chakra. "Apricot?" He called out. Kyuubi's chakra was sizzling as it pressed against the seal and when the girl didn't answer him he felt his stomach drop. "Kyoko!" Naruto called out.

"Ah, there you are you insufferable whelp." Kyuubi sounded pleased and Naruto tensed as he listened to what he said. Squeezing his eyes shut, he forced himself out of the space in his mind and found his body already jerking away from the touch that was literally burning his skin.

"Naruto," He could hear Gaara's concern as he clutched his hand to his chest and opened his eyes to see the damage. "Are you alright?" The outer part of the burn was already a deep red but it was in the center of his palm that the burns were the worst. His skin was peeled away, the new skin under it blistering, bubbling up and aching sharply. Attempting to open his hand up completely, the blonde hissed and clutched at it. This lag in his automatic healing had never happened before.

"It's not healing." Naruto looked up to Yamato and then to Gaara. The brown haired man's expression grew concerned and the Kazekage's eyes darted down to the blonde's hand.

"Give it a few seconds," Apricot spoke up urgently. "The chakra is reverting back to its normal paths." Naruto jerked his head over to her and his jaw went slack, surprised. Her body was radiating Kyuubis chakra, a haze of red in the air just above her skin. Normally green eyes were bright red like Kyuubi's and were meeting his in a nervous gaze. She had scooted back from him but was already reaching behind her to pull herself flush against the wall.

"How can you be sure-" Yamato started to ask. The sudden, intense pain in his hand made the blonde gasp and curl around his arm but it was the sensation of his skin growing back at an inhuman pace to his relief.

"She was right, it's working." Naruto sighed. He pulled his hand away from his body and opened his palm, letting Yamato and Gaara see it. The pain had reduced to the tingling itch of his skin regenerating and flexed his fingers to inspect it. He glanced to Apricot again; she seemed more relaxed now that Kyuubi's chakra was no longer radiating physically from her body. "How did you know?"

"Like I said last week, I can't do instant regeneration like you can. It always takes a while for Kyuubi's chakra to travel through my chakra pathways." Apricot murmured shakily. "If Kyuubi's chakra was burning your hand, it wasn't flowing like it normally does." Naruto blinked at her in surprise.

"What happened in there?" Kakashi asked. Naruto turned his head to the older man's spot in the room but found the white haired man was standing up and moving. Kakashi dropped down between the blonde and Yamato, intently staring at Apricot with his visible eye.

"He found her, I tried to stop him before he started anything." The blonde murmured. Kakashi's gaze turned to him and he stared back at the older man's good eye.

"Let's see the seal." Gaara motioned with his hand to Apricot and she stiffened against the wall. She took a deep breath and straightened into a sitting position before she pulled up her shirt so they could see the seal. He stared at her from afar and the girl anxiously started a breathing exercise, breathing in loudly through her nose and exhaling from her mouth.

"The degradation isn't as bad as I thought it would be." Yamato spoke up. "It could handle one or two more quick sessions like that before we would have to stop." Apricot tugged her shirt down, crossed her arms over her stomach protectively and Naruto flexed his fingers experimentally.

"I'd rather not, that really hurt." Naruto raised his hand. The skin had healed and it would be impossible to tell that it had ever been burned in the first place. His nerve ends tingled with the thought of pain and he wasn't up for experiencing it again anytime soon.

"Why did the connection have a physical affect on you but not on her?" Gaara asked. Naruto could only shrug in response. His gaze turned to Kakashi but the man was quietly staring at Apricot, gauging her actions and reactions now that she had finally met Kyuubi face to face.

"Not a clue, you?" The blonde looked over to the only girl in the room. Apricot refused to let her green eyes stray from Naruto and over to the Kazekage. Color had returned to her cheeks but her expression was still guarded, tense.

"Why are you looking at me? I don't know." Kyoko nervously retorted. Her gaze momentarily met Naruto's before she looked away and played with the hem of her shirt.

"Do you think it will happen again?" Yamato asked. The dark haired man raised a hand, feeling the growing bags under his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We can try, what's the use of instant regeneration if I can't burn off my whole hand?" Naruto asked sarcastically. He smiled at the weary looking brunet and motioned for Apricot to come closer again. She did so hesitantly, scooting across the sanded floor to be just in reach of the blonde. Apricot held her hand out and watched as Naruto brushed his fingertips over her open palm. When nothing happened, the blonde pressed his hand flat against hers and waited for the skin burning to start. After at least five seconds of awkward silence, Naruto pulled his hand away and the redhead gratefully retracted her own, pushing herself back towards the wall.

"So, it doesn't happen when we're just touching." Naruto sighed. "We already know it wears down the seal at a faster pace than just being in a close proximity so it might only happen when our consciousness is touching through Kyuubi." The blonde looked to Gaara who gave a small shrug of his shoulders.

"What did you see in there?" Yamato asked. The brunet leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he watched Apricot squirm. Naruto followed his lead and unfolded his legs and sat back into a relaxed posture. Most likely they were done for the night, having been at the meditating for hours already.

"It was dark," Apricot started out hesitantly. "I couldn't really see anything at first and then Kyuubi's chakra flared." Naruto watch the girl raise her hand to pull at her braid, she pulled the tie off and started to undo the braid, slipping the spiked strap out before she continued. "I saw the cage, like Naruto said I would. It was at the back of this cave like place."

"Did you notice anything specific?" Kakashi spoke up. Apricot paused in running her fingers through her hair and frowned.

"The bars," Apricot looked up suddenly. "The bars of the cage, they were breaking, crumbling from the weight of Kyuubi's chakra, it was seeping through the cracks." Naruto nodded, waiting for her to continue as she separated her hair into three sections. "I heard Naruto's voice, it was like an echo. He was telling me not to open the seal, then I saw him, the fox I mean. His big red eyes and teeth at least, he called me an insufferable whelp and then I was here again."

"Then it was a good thing you got out when you did, Naruto." Kakashi murmured. The blonde nodded his head but kept watching the younger girl as she braided her hair with practiced ease. "Now that we know it works when you're physically touching we can move on to why it only works when you're in your own heads." The white haired man raised his hand and gave Yamato a slap on the back.

"I'm going to need a break, I can't keep doing this every night." Yamato looked over to his old mentor with a grim expression. Apricot finished with her hair, tying the ends and grabbing the strap from her lap and fingering the spikes.

"We'll take a break then, rest up and we'll start back up again in a few days." Gaara turned his gaze to Naruto and the blonde looked back to him with a nod. "I'll see what I can find about chakra pathways and a demon's chakra in the meantime."

"Who let you stay up so late, Apricot? It's past your bedtime." Kakashi smiled underneath his mask. The jonin stood, holding out his hand for Yamato to take as Naruto moved to stand on his own.

"We've been staying up to all hours of the night this whole week!" The girl spluttered in response. "And I don't have a bedtime." She muttered petulantly. Apricot rolled onto her knees and half crawled her way back to the middle of the room to grab her shoes while ignoring everyone in the room entirely. Naruto was planning on lagging behind and watched as Yamato and Kakashi went down the stairs, Apricot shoving her feet into the boots before chasing after them.

"Can I ask who it is?" Naruto asked. He raised his eyebrows innocently and leaned closer into the red haired man as they made their way to the stairs at a slower pace. "The person you like." Gaara looked over to him with a blank expression but the blonde wasn't deterred and looked at the redhead expectantly when they reached the first floor.

"He's an applicant for the Konoha-Suna liaison." The Kazekage relented. That only fueled the blonde's curiosity and he followed his friend out of the rickety house where Apricot, Kakashi and Yamato were waiting for them.

"That's all you're going to tell me?" Naruto whined. The sun had set hours ago but the street was bathed in light, the moon allowing him to see Gaara's uncomfortable stare. "Come on, Gaara! Who is it?"

"Who is what?" Kyoko turned around to look between them and then stepped back in surprise when she saw the Kazekage's expression. Gaara blinked and looked away from his nosy friend. The blonde followed his line of sight and watched as Matsuri dropped from a rooftop across the street, a full-blown glare her set expression.

"The guy he likes, his precious person. I know it's someone from Konoha but he hasn't told me who it is." Naruto sighed with a roll of his eyes.

"Probably because that's his business and not yours." Yamato arched an eyebrow at the blonde. Naruto grinned at him and then turned to Matsuri whose glare was dropping into a surprised stare as she stepped up to their group.

"Did he tell you who the candidates for the liaison job were?" Naruto took a step towards the sand ninja with an eager smile. She didn't know why he was smiling and the blonde wasn't going to tell her that it was because he was solving both his and Gaara's problems at the same time.

"I-" Matsuri started. She looked over to the Kazekage, then back to the blonde, mouth agape. Naruto's grin widened, the girl would realize that the person Gaara liked wasn't with them and it would make her curious, she'd ask the Kazekage about it if she were bold enough. "Uh, I," The girl stammered again.

"That's classified information between the Kazekage and the Hokage, Naruto. Stop badgering them." Kakashi pushed the blonde forward when he set his hand on his back. The blonde looked back to him with a wide smile and got a raised eyebrow in return.

"See you guys tomorrow then." Naruto turned to Gaara and winked before jumping up onto the nearest roof, Yamato immediately followed him. Apricot came up a few seconds after that and the last one onto the roof was Kakashi who gave Naruto a deadened stare.

"I'm sure you can guess who's being considered for the liaison job between Suna and Konoha." The white haired man began. They all jumped onto the next rooftop, Kakashi in the lead. "There's no need to badger the Kazekage or his subordinate about it." Naruto rolled his eyes and Yamato let out a short laugh as they jumped onto the next roof.

"Yeah but it's no fun if I can't tease him about it. I don't get to see him very often." The blonde sighed. Kakashi inclined his head toward him but didn't say anything more. They got across three more rooftops before Kyoko spoke up and ended the peaceful silence of the night.

"Can I ask what a 'lee-age-on' is?" Apricot tentatively spoke up. Naruto looked to her for a brief second before turning to Yamato with a grin. Yamato looked to Kakashi in response but the white haired male resolutely ignored the look, leaving the brunet to deal with the question on his own.

" _Liaison_ , it's someone who helps maintain the relationship between two groups for varying reasons. In this case, it's someone from Konoha who's going to come to Suna to maintain our social and political connection to them." Yamato droned on in a bored tone. Naruto looked back to the redhead girl and watched her try to take in the information with a concentrated expression.

"And for Gaara to maybe do some personal liaison work." The blonde raised his eyebrows with a lecherous grin. With the nearly full moon lighting up the sky, Naruto could see Apricot's face turn red as she figured that one out. Yamato coughed loud enough to hide his snorting laugh and Kakashi paused on top of a low bearing roof. As soon as Naruto landed beside him the white haired male whacked him upside the head. "Ow!" He glared at the older man.

"Don't fill her head with perverted things, she's already afraid of him." Kakashi stared back at him with his visible eye. Naruto shrugged his shoulders at him, watching how the full moon casted shadows across the white haired man's face.

"I'm not afraid of him!" Apricot cried out indignantly. "Just his sand, that you know, could crush me to death." The girl murmured almost as an afterthought. Naruto and Yamato all snorted at her response, Kakashi ignored her completely and jumped over to the next rooftop without bothering to wait to hear more her excuse.

* * *

The wave of uncertainty hit Naruto hard in the stomach when he was in the shower. It had been happening on and off through the days, when he was lying in bed wishing Sasuke was there with him and times like now, when he was in the shower not thinking of anything in particular. Still, the anxiety was there and the blonde raised his hand to his wet hair, grimacing as it spread.

It was because Sasuke was pregnant, Naruto had told himself for the first few days. Sasuke was vulnerable and he felt guilty for leaving his pregnant boyfriend to fend for himself but he could only convince himself of that for so long. The Uchiha may have only just passed the chuunin exam but he wasn't a weakling, even if he was pregnant. Naruto had then tried to reason with himself, Sasuke had the compound and the barrier, and the only people who could get into the compound were people that Sasuke wanted to let in.

Shivers raced up his spine and down his arms even though the water was hot and the shower stall was filled with steam. Naruto had given up trying to convince himself that the feeling would go away and pressed his forehead against the wall. Water ran down his back and after a few seconds, the dread started to fade but Naruto was already stuck on the idea of Sasuke. Wondering if he still had morning sickness, if he'd gotten any bigger and couldn't fit into his favorite pair of pants anymore. Did Sasuke miss him as much as he missed his dark haired asshole? Was he lying on their bed in the middle of the night, wishing that Naruto was holding him or rubbing the swell of his growing stomach? Naruto sure as hell did.

Sighing, the blonde closed his eyes and felt the phantom sensations wash over him. The feel of Sasuke's back pressed against his chest, his soft spikes of hair brushing against his cheek. Sasuke's hand running through his hair, those long, slender fingers tightly holding his neck for a forceful kiss. His mouth dropped open, blood pooled into his lower regions as his body created more sensations to go with the images in his mind. Those talented fingers around his length, Sasuke's warm mouth sucking on him and he felt himself twitch when he remembered watching pale fingers press their erections together. He was wrapping his fingers around himself before he even realized what he was doing. It took a bare second to decide to keep going and he squeezed himself, swallowing dryly.

The water in the shower was getting lukewarm but Naruto didn't care. He lifted his head to the spray and let his mind drift. The soft skin of Sasuke's ass pressed against his hips and length, teasing him with just enough movement, just enough pressure. Sasuke's lean body pressing down on him, penetrating him with gentle thrusts, the blonde's hole twitched at the memory. It had been so long since the Uchiha had topped, months even before his pregnancy and Naruto missed it, wanted it.

He moved his free hand to his behind, slipping two fingers between his cheeks to press against his aching hole and had to bite his lip from moaning when he thumbed his head. Sasuke liked being on the receiving end of a little rough play but when he was taking the lead he was nothing but the definition of tender. Naruto had been surprised just how much he had enjoyed it, having his body worshipped until he was a trembling, sweating mess. The shower water was colder than lukewarm now, running down his face and back but his length was still rigid in his grasp. His breathing was heavy, not loud enough to be heard over the running water but the blonde was still cautious when he pushed his middle finger inside himself. Without lube, it was a little painful and the sting made Naruto squeeze his eyes shut.

Sasuke's flushed face materialized behind the blonde's eyelids. Tears were welling up in the corners of obsidian eyes, his mouth parted and chest heaving. Those beautiful pale fingers were clutching the sheets around his head, his wrists still irritated and red from the chakra cuffs that had been removed only hours before. Naruto had sat back then, admiring the full view. Sasuke's cock was limp and spent, cum spattered across his stomach. His legs were still parted and his entrance having spasm after spasm in the wake of his climax. The blonde had felt guilt, for coming inside of him but the Uchiha had released his grip on the sheets and pulled him down for a forceful kiss. Letting out a single grunt, he let his hips jerk forward into his hand and could feel his climax coming. A few more strokes after that and the blonde ejaculated onto the wall. Dammit, he wanted to look like that after a great round of sex.

It took him another minute to gather himself, to pull his finger out and wipe the shower wall clean of his mess. Cold water hit his head when he moved to turn off the showerhead and he started to feel the slightest bit guilty for having used up all the hot water. Naruto toweled off and dressed quickly, hoping Kakashi hadn't heard him for any part of his shower. He stepped out into the room and tried to discretely look at his temporary roommate. Kakashi was lying on his bed, hands underneath his head and his _Icha Icha Paradise_ on top of his face. Naruto quietly moved to his bed and sat down, grinning at the thought of getting away with his quickie.

"Have a good time in there?" Kakashi's voice came from underneath his book and made Naruto jump in surprise. His grin soured into a scowl as he flopped his body down, arms spread out as he looked up at the ceiling. Of course the white haired man had heard him and would make a comment, he'd tell Yamato too as soon as they met up again for dinner and he'd get teased about it for sure. Naruto turned his head to glare at Kakashi but the man didn't twitch a muscle, his book still covering his face and arms raised with his hands underneath his head in a relaxed position.

"You're creasing the spine of your book, I hope you know that." The blonde muttered petulantly.

"This is my copy for traveling." The white haired man retorted. "Are you out of the bathroom completely? It's my turn to take a shower."

"I used up all the hot water." Naruto told him flat out. That earned him movement from the older man; Kakashi raised his hand to grab his book and turned his head, both of his eyes visible. The blonde stuck his tongue out at him before rolling onto his side, away from the jonin. His mind wandered for a moment before settling on the topic of Sasuke again, he couldn't wait to get back home.


	23. Second Ultrasound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the guest reviewer on FFN: "it's obvious you're just creating drama" is confrontational and flame-like but otherwise, you're right. It's my fault for not implicating more than I did in the Maternity Shopping chapter that there is a reason he would go buy maternity clothes himself. I hadn't planned on addressing his reasoning in this chapter but it's a valid issue and I put in a hint for what will come later.

**September seventeenth, the nineteenth week**

The first thing he did when he woke up was to run for the bathroom to puke. He hadn't even had anything heavy for dinner the night before and still his stomach had decided to have an upheaval. Sasuke had decided early on in his life that he hated the taste of bile and he had had more than his fair share since getting pregnant. In all honesty, he was getting sick of it and damn Naruto for not being there to point out that bit of irony to him. He hocked puke and saliva into the bowl before reaching to flush the toilet and slowly stood up. Luckily, the nausea had passed and he washed his mouth and hands without another wave of it hitting him. It had gotten noticeably colder since his blonde had left for Suna and without him, and Apricot for that matter, the compound was eerily quiet.

Sasuke had taken to wearing some of the clothes he and Sakura had bought the week before and actually enjoyed sleeping in some of them. Stripping off the slightly feminine grey long sleeve and pulled the black sweats down to his ankles before kicking them off. He kicked them across the floor, directed at the laundry basket and stepped out of the bathroom to grab a towel and clean clothes. Before they had moved into the compound, Sasuke enjoyed walking around in various states of undress, especially in their small apartment where he could feel Naruto's eyes on him. Even in the compound he relished being able to walk around without a shirt but since Apricot had joined them, Sakura and Iruka-sensei subsequently, it felt awkward exposing so much skin. With Naruto and Apricot both in Suna though, Sasuke was mostly left alone until Sakura got done with her shift at the hospital and Iruka was gone most of the day at the academy.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he shivered at the slight draft in the empty house and quickly made his way into the hallway closet where they kept the towels. It felt, strange to be in the house alone but he had been making do the last two weeks and it wasn't going to start bothering him now. Opening the closet door, he pulled a towel out and quickly stepped back into his room. He was halfway to the bathroom when he stopped short, looking at himself in a mirror. Sakura had pulled it out of a closet and set up there while he had tried on jackets and coats. Now, completely naked, Sasuke was looking more closely at his body than he had in weeks. Sasuke wasn't afraid of his body changing, he accepted that he would be looking different but he wasn't entirely prepared for, well for this.

His stomach was thick, sticking out from his thin frame and he had expected that but as he stepped closer, he saw them clearly. Stretch marks, he had stretch marks. Turning sideways, Sasuke ran his fingers over the pink veiny lines set across his stomach, mouth agape in horror. It would only get worse, he realized, the marks would only get darker and more expansive as he got bigger. Sasuke let out a sigh and faced the mirror again, looking over his body for more changes.

He raised his hand over his stomach, brushing past the stretch marks and up to his nipples. Sasuke felt himself visibly wince at the feel of the flabby skin, he had lost the definition of his abs weeks ago but now his pectorals had sunk below a thin layer of fat. Instead of his clearly defined muscles, his chest was decidedly pudgy and his stomach was sticking out like he was four and a half months pregnant, which he was. On top of that, the skin of his nipples had darkened from their original pinkness to an almost brown color and he frowned. Sasuke remembered reading about darkening nipples but he hadn't taken it seriously, just like morning sickness. Everything that could go wrong with his body during pregnancy was going wrong; he should have known this the minute he started throwing up. He couldn't look at his body anymore. Turning away from the mirror, he strode back into the bathroom and tossed the towel onto the counter as he glanced at his appearance one last time in a mirror.

Freezing mid-step, Sasuke stared at his face and stepped closer, turning his head and brushing his hair out of his face. He'd have to get his hair cut soon but that wasn't what he was looking at, he was looking at a pimple. A pimple. He had never gotten a pimple before; Uchiha's didn't get pimples! The thing was right under his hairline, his skin pink in irritation and white pus close to the surface. A sudden urge to pop it made his fingers twitch. Sasuke didn't raise his hand to his face though, he knew from watching others that if he popped it, it would probably scar. So he didn't touch it, he didn't cry about it, he'd ignore it and maybe ask Sakura for some kind of cleanser or ointment. Stepping into the shower, he turned the water on and flipped it to a hot temperature, enjoying the way the heated water washed over him. As he was rinsing off soap from his ever-changing body, he heard someone walking towards the bedroom and the bathroom. Sasuke had two choices as to who it could be and one of them was still at the academy, teaching. While he had left the bathroom door open, Sakura wouldn't walk in unless it was absolutely necessary and he waited for her to call out to him.

"Come out when your done, I'm going to cut your hair before we go to your ultrasound." Sakura finally called out. Her voice echoed in the bathroom as he tilted his head back and let the water spill across his face. She thought of the same thing, now that his natural spikes were drooping and were brushing against his shoulders.

"Is that before or after filing paperwork for the hospital?" He called out. Sasuke turned the water off, immediately missing the wet heat. Pulling back the shower curtain, the dark-haired male stepped out onto a rug while reaching for his towel.

"Before, I don't see why you're complaining about filing paperwork, at least Tsunade-sama hasn't been giving you the mission of finding Tora or doing trash collection. You've been getting the good in-village missions." Sakura's voice continued to echo in the bathroom but he could tell that she was out in his bedroom; probably browsing through his closet to see if he was wearing the clothes they had bought. He chose to ignore her for drying his hair and upper body before wrapping the now somewhat wet towel around his lower half and walking out. Sakura had been inconspicuously checking his open closet from across the bed. When he glanced at her, she was inspecting her nails before she glanced up with a grin.

"They're a waste of my time, genin could be doing these jobs." Sasuke turned to his closet and waited for Sakura to turn around before he dropped his towel and stepped into a pair of boxers and sweat pants. He wondered what Naruto would say when he found a majority of his boxers with the waistbands cut in several places for more allowance.

"So you don't want to keep earning your pay until you go on maternity leave? I had thought you wanted to save up for the baby?" Sakura asked. Sasuke reached for a long sleeved shirt and pulled it over his stomach as the pinkette turned her head, giving him a sidelong glance to see if he was dressed. "Have you been meditating? You seem a little agitated." The Uchiha gave a pointed look and she shrugged her shoulders at him innocently.

"There are other missions that I could be doing, something more important than organizing files." He carded a hand through his wet hair and sighed before gently leaning himself back onto his bed, a hand coming to his stomach reflexively.

"Mhm, where do you guys keep your scissors?" Sakura seemed satisfied with his answer and instead walked out of the room, looking for the most likely place scissors would be.

"Kitchen, drawer left of the sink." Sasuke raised his voice as Sakura's footsteps faded farther into the house. He tapped his fingers against his burgeoning stomach before setting his palm over his belly button and started to rub smooth, gentle circles. Sakura took a few minutes and the Uchiha let his mind wander, there had been a few more surprising instances where he had felt the fluttering in his stomach, proof that the baby was moving. Each time it happened, Sasuke had stiffened in surprise before taking a deep breath and let the feeling take its course. Naruto had been on his mind consistently, wondering how the blonde was doing in Suna, if he had told Gaara about the baby, if they had figured out a way to keep Apricot's seal from deteriorating.

"Alright, to the bathroom with you." It was a gentle command and Sasuke had to refrain from sighing. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and then off the bed completely. "So what's new with you today?" The pinkette asked as she swiped the damp towel Sasuke had used to dry off. She laid the towel out in front of the bathtub and motioned for him to sit on the rim.

"I still have morning sickness," Sasuke started. He stepped into the tub and sat down with his back straight. The Uchiha turned his head, watching Sakura nod encouragingly for him to continue. "I've gained more weight. Stretch marks are already starting to show along with some pain in my sides, no more than we expected." Sakura raised her hand to his head, gently pushing him to turn his head. He complied and felt her play with his hair a moment longer.

"Do the changes bother you?" She asked. Sasuke thought about it for a minute, feeling her hand ruffle the wet and drooping spikes of his hair, getting a feel for the length of his hair.

"I have flab on my arms." He finally muttered. Sakura stilled as he said it, a second after she dropped her hand and leaned forward so that their faces were next to each other. Sasuke tilted his head by just a fraction so he could meet Sakura's gaze.

"Can you say that again," Sakura tried to pull off the innocent look but Sasuke had been given that look more than a few times in his lifetime. "Please?" He stared back at her for a long moment but her innocent look just morphed into a smile.

"I have flab on my arms." Sasuke repeated slowly. He narrowed his eyes to glare at his old teammate when she smiled and straightened. Her hand returned to his hair and he was starting to get irritated with her, she was practically massaging his scalp and it was getting creepy. "Are you going to cut my hair?" His not so subtle prodding didn't deter Sakura, instead she scratched at his scalp, pushing his head forward with a gentle force.

"I've never gotten to do this and for all I know, it might be my last chance." Sakura sighed longingly. She gently tugged on his hair to get him to raise his head and he did so, rolling his eyes. For a moment she continued to run her fingers through his hair but when he raised a hand to stop her, she let go voluntarily. "Fine, fine. You always did like to ruin my fun." Sasuke heard the sound of scissors opening and closing as Sakura prepared to cut his hair.

They fell into a companionable silence, the sound of hair being cut and their breathing echoing off the ceramic tiles and porcelain bathtub. Strands of hair fell across his shoulders, locks of hair tumbled onto the towel on the floor and Sasuke continued to think absent-mindedly. He started with wondering why he was trusting Sakura with his hair but if she did mess it up he could just let it grow out. Sasuke's thoughts strayed back to his blonde again but this time it was more of what would Naruto think about his changed body. Would he even be able to get it up with Sasuke's body like this? The Uchiha could just picture it, Naruto's hands sliding up from his hips over his stretch marks and the blonde's half-hard erection would shrink under his fingertips. The blonde would find him unattractive and there was no way he'd be able to get hard. The thought made him physically shudder and he felt Sakura pause in her work, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" She asked softly. Sasuke gave her a sharp nod and the pinkette dropped her hand from his shoulder "I'm almost done, just need you to turn around so I can do your bangs." Sakura murmured. He complied quietly, pulling his feet out of the tub and setting them on either side of the hair littered towel. Sakura crouched down and leaned to his right, tugging on his hair. This silence was more awkward than the one before, he kept his gaze averted from Sakura's face as she did her work. He wouldn't think about it, there hadn't been any word when Naruto would be back so what good would it do to worry over how the blonde would react to his body, or wouldn't react for that matter. Sakura moved to his left side and Sasuke's eyes darted to her face but she was focused on his hair. Feeling the awkwardness creep in, the Uchiha tried to look anywhere but at his teammate until she pulled away and stood up.

"Finished." She said with obvious satisfaction. Sasuke leaned over, aware of the fullness of his stomach and picked the towel up by its edges. Standing up, Sasuke dropped it on the counter, determined to deal with it later and looked at himself in the mirror. Sakura watched him with a smug look, both of them admiring her handiwork. It surprised Sasuke how close it was to how he normally cut his hair; she had done a surprisingly good job.

"You pay far too much attention to my hair." Sasuke raised his hand to the back of his head, feeling the still somewhat wet spikes naturally rising to stick out. Sakura snorted but she seemed content with his response and walked out of the bathroom. He stayed for a few more seconds, brushed a lock of hair behind his ear and watched how it fell right back into place, just how he liked it. That left Sasuke slightly unnerved at the amount of attention his old teammate gave him.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, Sakura was waiting for him just outside the doorframe. She pushed a small rectangular envelope into his chest, holding it there until his hands automatically came up to touch it and then let go before he could pull his hand away. "Here," Sakura told him. He watched her turn around and made a hasty retreat as he pulled the envelope away from his body to look at it. "We're going to be late getting you to your ultrasound appointment." Almost immediately after he laid eyes on the thing he knew what it was, Sakura's obvious avoidance tactic making it a dead giveaway. He nearly crumpled the envelope and it's contents as he chased after her down the hallway. Sakura had practically made it to the door when she stopped and turned around, standing her ground against his barely quelled rage.

"I told you," Sasuke thrust the envelope back at her but she simply put her hands on her hips and refused to take it. "We don't want your money, you pay for utilities and water, that's it." He didn't drop his hand when she refused to take back the envelope.

"And I told my parents that but do you want to know what they said to me? They told me I was using Naruto to manipulate you! It didn't matter to them that you both pressured me into not paying rent. They gave me this money, telling me that if I didn't give it to you, they'd disown me." Sakura raised her hands but she didn't take the envelope but instead, crossed her arms across her chest.

"I'm not going to accept it." Sasuke stated with finality but Sakura just raised her eyebrows at him. After another moment of standoff, the Uchiha reached forward and slid the envelope of money between her two arms, as degradingly juvenile as that was. As soon as he stepped back, Sakura took the envelope and stepped toward him, intent on giving it right back but he backed up, no longer caring if it was childish.

"Sasuke, just take my parents money." Sakura sighed. She stopped chasing after him and held the money out, offering it to him. Sasuke had the sudden urge to wrap his hands behind his back and shove them under the waistband of his pants so he couldn't take it. "For the baby." That took the Uchiha by surprise. He blinked and looked down at the envelope before cautiously meeting his old teammates green eyes.

"How much is it?" Sasuke asked tentatively. Sakura thrust the envelope of money at him again, pursing her lips that meant she wouldn't say anything until he took the damn thing. With great reluctance, the Uchiha brought one hand from behind his back to take it and then raised his other hand to open it and actually see how much money she was trying to give him.

"That right there? Enough for a safety deposit and first month's rent." Sasuke let his shoulders drop, relieved that it wasn't as much money as he had previously thought. As he opened it though, he started to frown as he mentally counted the paper bills before letting it develop into a full-blown scowl.

"It's too much." Sasuke jammed the money back inside the envelop and was going to hand it back to Sakura but she stopped him, covering the back of his hand with her own. They both paused when the Uchiha's stomach growled loudly and reminded him that he had yet to eat that morning. Giving Sakura a pointed stare, he wordlessly told her to not say anything.

"It's about average for a one bedroom apartment with a bath and kitchen." Sakura spoke in a gentle tone. "If you tell me that I haven't moved into an apartment yet, consider that the first month's rent and security deposit for when I do." She pushed his hand closer to him tenderly, smiling at him in such a way that made his chest tight. Sasuke dropped his scowl and stepped away from Sakura, heading back to his bedroom to find a temporary place to put the money until he could figure out what he was going to do with it.

"We've really got to get going, Sasuke. I had planned to give you the money when I still had a pair of scissors in hand." The pink haired ninja called out after him. Sasuke snorted as he dropped the envelope on the bathroom counter, next to the towel with his hair on it. He'd deal with it all later. Grabbing a chuunin vest from his closet, Sasuke put it on as he made his way back to the front door and found that Sakura had disappeared.

"I thought we were leaving." Sasuke called out. He grabbed his headband from the coffee table in the living room, and then moved to put his shoes on and zip up the vest since it would better hide his growing middle. The sound of movement in the kitchen alerted him to where the Sakura had gone.

"You need to eat because I know you'll be starving later." Sakura came back with an apple in hand and waited for Sasuke to stand up before tossing it to him. "I don't care if you weren't a breakfast person before you got pregnant, you need to eat consistent meals. You're eating for two."

"Are you my personal caregiver now?" Sasuke caught the apple and looked at it briefly before taking a bite out of it. Sakura eased on her own shoes and followed the Uchiha out of the house, letting him shut the door after her.

"I'd say that's Naruto's job but since he's not here, yes." Sakura stepped off the porch and let the dark-haired male catch up to her as they walked. He chose to ignore her answer in favor for the apple he was devouring bite-by-bite. When all he had left was the core, they were at the gate and Sakura moved to take the barrier down. They slipped out into a slightly crowded street, only a few people looking in their direction as Sakura closed the barrier while the Uchiha sought out a trashcan.

"He's watching again." Sasuke muttered when they rejoined on the side of the street, making their way to the hospital. "Has he been following you and Iruka?" He stuffed his hands into his pockets and

"Iruka says he feels like someone's watching him leave most days and he's there whenever and I leave and comeback. The only time he's followed me has been when I'm with you." Sakura murmured. She reached into her kunai pouch and pulled out a second apple, holding it out for the Uchiha to take. He took it, nodding gratefully when he still felt the pangs of hunger.

"An elder spy then. Do you think he's told them yet?" Sasuke tilted his head as he gave a quick glance to the roof that the stalker was on and brought the apple to his lips.

"Not sure, rumors are definitely spreading like wildfire. Ino asked me if I was the one pregnant yesterday." Sakura was frowning when Sasuke looked over to her. He didn't know what to say to that and took longer than he needed to chew on his bite. "It's bad when your parents think you're using your friends but it'd be even worse if my friends think I'm pregnant."

"With the child belonging to one of your friends who's already in a serious relationship at that." Sasuke murmured. He raised the apple to his mouth as he glanced over to his friend who rolled her eyes and nodded. They ignored the person following them on the rooftops and the few open stares Sasuke was getting from older women on the street who had apparently heard the rumors.

"It's not easy to believe that a man is pregnant." Sakura sighed. "But letting the rumors spread how we want them now means that it won't be a surprise later when you're out walking with Naruto when your belly is too big to hide."

"Some people will think that you're the one that's pregnant until then." Sasuke responded softly. He glanced over to his old teammate who nodded in agreement and didn't bother contradicting him.

"You can go buy diapers or something with Naruto when he gets back from Suna, show off your big tummy to whole village and prove to them they're wrong." Sakura told him with a smile and Sasuke snorted.

"Even though it's going to attract the elders' attention even more than I already have?" The Uchiha asked.

"Yes." She told him in mock seriousness. He grinned back at her as she laughed. They paused in their conversation when they stepped onto a busy street, focusing on getting to the hospital without too much jostling. "Have you been making a list of things you'll need for the baby?" The pinkette asked as the crowd thinned and they could walk side by side again.

"Yes, most of it I can find in the compound." Sasuke felt the urge to rub his stomach but with the chuunin vest on, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. They were in sight of the hospital now and their stalker was still diligently following them from his supposed safe distance.

"I don't think so. Start stockpiling diapers now." Sakura raised finger to point at him with a serious expression. "You'll need formula, toys that aren't stuffed with dust, and you can't use old bottles to feed a baby. We can search for baby clothes in the compound though, and there's got to be a crib or two." Sasuke watched her glance in front of her to avoid walking into someone and then look back at him.

"There were six cribs." The Uchiha stated. His old teammate's eyebrows rose and he tilted his head to her. They just outside the hospital's gates when Sasuke stopped and leaned over slightly, the fluttering feeling was starting again. It was starting to give the Uchiha goosebumps every time it happened.

"You kept track?" Sakura glanced uneasily at the roof of a building, knowing their stalker was watching them. She moved closer to him, checking him over to see if anything was wrong. Sasuke shook his head and clenched his hands around the fabric of his pockets, waiting for the shivering to stop.

"We were planning to sell the furniture, I had one of Naruto's clones write it down." He glanced to her and straightened, still clenching his fists inside his pockets. With a small nod to Sakura, they started walking again, past the hospital gates and through the doors. Nurses at the front desk looked up for a second, nodded to Sakura and they dropped their heads again.

"That's a really good idea, Sasuke." Sakura took the lead and walked past the front desk and the Uchiha saw from his peripherals that more than one of the nurses were glancing at him. "You know, you might have a knack for this landlord, manager thing." He stared at her when she smiled at him.

"I'm a ninja, not a proprietor." The dark-haired male scoffed quietly. Sakura raised her eyebrows at him as they maneuvered their way through the maze of hallways.

"You're going to have to face it, Sasuke. Opening up the compound for people to live in means that they're going to pay you to live in houses and apartments that you own. That's exactly what a landlord does." Sakura grinned. Sasuke made a small noise at the back of his throat but didn't give any other response.

When they reached the same room they had been in weeks ago, Sakura opened the door and let the Uchiha in first. She gave the long hallway a cautious glance before shutting the door behind her. "He didn't follow us into the hospital." Sasuke muttered as he nodded to the technician and sat down in the chair. Sasuke looked him over with a quick glance, same brown hair, same glasses, and same average stature. He even had the same expression of fear as he did the last time Sasuke saw him.

"Yeah." Sakura replied in a gentle tone. "Good morning, how are you today?" She asked the sonographer. The male nodded his head shakily, swallowing loudly as he moved to set up the ultrasound machine.

"Um, I'm fine. Should I be worried?" The ultrasound technician glanced between them both. Sakura shook her head and smiled warmly at him. Sasuke let his eyebrows twitch and opened his chuunin vest to pull his shirt up, revealing his growing stomach.

"No, nothing to be concerned about." Sakura placed her hands on her hips. "It's nothing that we can't handle." It seemed to soothe the older man but Sasuke wasn't fooled by the false confidence his old teammate was exuding. If someone was following them inside the hospital, it wouldn't be hard to figure out the technician was helping them with something especially with the rumors that were going around.

"Okay then, shall we start?" The technician smiled at Sakura's reassurances and picked up a familiar unlabeled tube. Sasuke pushed the sides of his vest farther apart but not enough to give the technician room to move. "Can you?" He motioned to the vest and Sasuke sat up and pulled it off, freeing his upper body for movement. "Thanks." The older man smiled. Sasuke dropped the vest over the side of the chair and sat back again, raising his shirt again. The technician poured the clear gel directly onto the Uchiha's swelling middle, it was cold and the fluttering feeling started again when the technician spread it over his skin with a white cloth. Sakura remained standing near the door, her sharp green eyes darting to it seconds before shadows of feet passed it, the dull, unintelligible sounds of conversation could be heard. The technician didn't notice Sakura's tense posture as he turned the ultrasound machine on, typing in commands before the screen hummed to life.

"You should let him print you picture this time. So you can show, your partner." Sakura said distractedly. Sasuke gave her a pointed stare; he briefly wondered why she had called Naruto his partner until he remembered that they had promised not to give their names to the technician. They had already been over this the last time he was here and knew the pink haired woman was trying to change his mind, using his missing blonde to her advantage.

"Is he out of the village?" The brunette male asked. Sasuke looked over to him, debating if answering would be detrimental for a moment before nodding once. "I can see if I can take one without the gender showing, so you won't be able to tell." The man offered without missing a beat. Sasuke watched the man look away; he grabbed the handheld part of the machine and typed a few more commands into the keyboard. When the man turned back to the Uchiha, his smile dropped at the stone cold expression the pregnant male had.

"Rumors are already spreading that you're pregnant, having an ultrasound picture isn't going to do more damage." Sasuke turned his head at the only female in the room as she spoke. Sakura was tense again, her head angled at the door as another shadow passed the door. The Uchiha gripped the armrests of the chair, looking between his friend and the sonographer.

"Fine." He relented, letting his grip on the chair loosen. Sakura smiled at him and the technician nodded, moving the handheld piece of machinery over the Uchiha's stomach.

"Alright, here we go." The man murmured. Sasuke turned his eyes to the monitor, watching it change from black to grey, the blurred images changing as the technician moved the handheld piece. After a few seconds the screen turned to mostly grey, Sasuke could see the technician glance up at the screen and move his hand accordingly. "There you are." He murmured and continued to move the machine.

The Uchiha watched the screen silently, keeping his peripheral vision on Sakura who continued to tense and relax as people walked past the room. Something moved on the monitor and suddenly, it held all of his attention; he couldn't stop the small gasp that escaped him. He could see Sakura's head whip towards him but he tightened his grip on the armrest again as he stared up at the monitor. The sonographer looked completely unfazed when the Uchiha looked over to him, the man was actually smiling as he stared up at the screen and Sasuke looked back to it in shock. "That's a foot." Sasuke finally managed to get out. He saw Sakura take a step closer in his peripherals and took a quick second to glance at her slightly awed expression before returning his attention to the screen. A few weeks ago, it had taken the sonographer to point out what they were looking at for him to see it. Now there, right there on the screen, was his baby's foot.

"Yes it is." The brunette man reached up with his free hand to point at the monitor. "There's the foot and this right here, is the baby's cranium." He pointed to the white blob that looked so similar to a head and Sasuke nearly stopped breathing. That was his child, Naruto's child, right there, inside of him. It took looking away from the screen to remind him to breathe; he could feel the slight pressure on his stomach move as the technician continued the ultrasound.

"You okay?" Sakura asked. She took a step closer to him and Sasuke closed his eyes for a brief moment and nodded. He opened his eyes again and glanced to the sonographer who was raptly paying attention to the monitor as he moved the handheld piece across his skin with one hand and typed a command into the keyboard. Another moment of mentally preparing himself and he looked up to the screen again, watching the image change with every movement. Sasuke could make out a foot again, he saw the head with a fair amount of clarity but as the technician moved the equipment the images changed. It got harder to make things out, at one point he thought he saw a hand or an elbow and then the technician took the handheld piece off of his abdomen and turned the monitor off with a tap on the keyboard.

"Everything looks fine, the baby and the umbilical cord look healthy and as you know the Amniocentesis test came back negative so you're in the clear." The brunette male spoke distractedly. He cleaned the handheld piece with another white cloth, setting it down on the cart. "You're," The man paused. "Nineteen weeks pregnant? What was the exact date the seal became active?"

"May fourteenth." Sasuke answered. The sonographer flicked his eyes upwards, probably mentally counting the months. The Uchiha looked to Sakura with a knowing gaze, he had figured it out hours after the seal had appeared and Sakura weaseled out the exact date from him days after finding out.

"So we're looking at your due date to be in early February." The sonographer's response didn't surprise them. "It'd be better to perform the cesarean a few days before the due date with chakra wombs." Sasuke watched the man lean on the far side of the machine.

"We thought as much." Sakura spoke up. The Uchiha kept his eyes on the technician as he reached for his vest and pulled down his shirt simultaneously. His old teammate leaned over curiously, trying to see what the sonographer was grabbing.

"Let's decide on a specific date when you get closer to the nine month mark, but for now," The sonographer straightened in his chair, a rectangle piece of paper in his hand that he held out for Sasuke to take. "You're free to go." Sasuke's eyes dropped to the man's outstretched hand, a picture of the ultrasound in his hand. He tilted the picture in his hand once and then waited for the pregnant male to take it.

"Thank you again, for doing this." Sakura smiled at the older man. The Uchiha was reluctant to grab the photo, he pulled on his vest before reaching to take the picture and even then he didn't glance at it as he slipped it into a pocket on the inside of the vest.

"It's been a pleasure," The sonographer looked from the pregnant male to the pink haired medical-nin in training with a tentative and uncertain grin. "Mostly." Sasuke looked away from him, swinging his legs to the side of the chair and moving to stand. Lightheadedness came on quickly and the Uchiha dropped his head, taking deep breaths as he heard Sakura step closer to him. He tried to stand, to show that he was fine but the dizziness took him over again along with a twinge of pain in his side.

"Ah, ah, mister. Take it easy; you got up too quickly again." Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder and gently forced him to sit back down. Sasuke pushed off her hand as soon as he was sitting again with his head down. "Hey, this is better than the nosebleeds." She sighed loudly but didn't attempt to touch him again. He continued to inhale and exhale as the pain in his side slowly ebbed away, waiting for the dizziness to subside.

"Hn." Sasuke hummed his response. He could hear the sonographer stand up and head over towards the door. When he opened his eyes the brunette was opened the door and slipping out into the hallway without a backward glance at them.

"Feeling better now, Sasuke?" His old teammate took a step back when he lifted his head and attempted to stand a second time. It was successful, he looked over to Sakura in a silent response as he zipped up his chuunin vest and followed the pink haired woman to the door. "Okay, let's get you to the records room so you can start your mission, filing paperwork." She couldn't keep the grin out of her voice as they left the room and Sasuke glared at the back of her head.

"I'd rather de-weed four training fields." The Uchiha muttered. His old teammate gave an exaggerated sigh as she looked over to him with a fake look of sympathy. They turned a corner and Sakura lead him closer to the front entrance of the hospital before she took him into a stairwell. Making their way down two flights of stairs, Sakura opened a door and led him into another hallway.

"Poor Sasuke, forced to sit on his ass all day and alphabetize files." Sakura grinned at him. "Whatever will the poor Uchiha do?" He didn't bother giving his old teammate a response to that question and let Sakura lead him to a door marked 'Medical Records'. She opened the door, held it open for him and Sasuke stepped into the doorway, flipping on the light switch on. The room was filled with metal cabinets and a small desk with three mountains of manila folders stacked on top of it.

"I didn't bring lunch." The Uchiha turned to glare at Sakura. This was nothing short of torture and she was leaving him here? "You were the one who told me to have consistent meals." She raised her hand to his shoulder, squeezing the shoulder of his vest. Sasuke wasn't sure if she meant it to be reassuring or a warning.

"I'll come visit you and we can go get food during lunch then." The pinkette pushed him farther into the room and leaned against the doorframe. "And I'll come to let you know when you're off the hook for the day because this project is going to take the better part of the week." Sasuke raised his hand to run his fingers through his newly cut hair and nodded to her as he sighed. At this rate he would never do a mission that required his ninja skills before his maternity leave, he'd be a desk jockey for the next couple of months.

* * *

They were mocking him, making an idiot out of him. What other reason could there be? It must be a ruse, all of them in on it, knowing he was watching and reporting back to the elders. There was just no way that, that the Uchiha, a man, was pregnant. He had refused to believe it. He hadn't gone to the elders when he watched Haruno and the Uchiha walk into the clothes store that sold women's clothing because he knew they were up to something and he still didn't feel the need to tell the elders when other patrons of the shop left with wide eyes and were talking amongst themselves. Sasuke Uchiha was pregnant, not the Haruno brat but the fattened male. They had most likely been lied to; to cover the tracks of what the brats were doing.

Oh, but then they had taken it even farther, going to the hospital together an hour before Sasuke was to start his filing medical records and an hour and a half before Sakura was on duty in the maternity ward. Of course he had followed them into the hospital, to prove their hoax for what it was. Slipping into the crawlspace between the ceiling and the air vents was easy even in his old age and he had silently watched his unsuspecting targets from above. The brief flash of uncertainty hit him when he heard Haruno explain that rumors were already spreading about the pregnancy and he knew immediately that he had to squash the feeling.

With silently quick movements that had proved his continued usefulness to the elders, he pulled the thin layer of insulation on the ceiling back. The ceiling panel was chipped in the corner, just enough to slip a fingertip into and he did so as the people below him continued to talk, pushing the panel back mere centimeters to look directly down on the Uchiha brat. That's when the other man put the machine on the teen's fattened stomach and the kid looked like he had gone into shock. 'That's a foot' was what made his uncertainty return and he turned his attention to the screen of the machine as the other man mentioned things he was pointing to. On the screen was what was inside the Uchiha's stomach; the brat wasn't fat, he was pregnant.

His stomach curdled in a way that had happened only once when he was a younger man. The stench of decaying bodies and coagulated blood hit him as if he had travelled back in time to the Uchiha massacre. Dead bodies that had been an entire clan living, breathing, and scheming people the day before. It had been one of his last missions before he had retired, to watch the Uchiha clan and report back to the Hokage. They had been planning a coup d'état, to take over the village and Danzo had gotten Itachi Uchiha to stop it.

Itachi had been a tactical genius, passing the chuunin and jonin tests with ease, had joined the anbu ranks when he was only eleven. The boy had been a proven prodigy. They had even been on several missions together when the kid was twelve and he had seen the growing male kill ruthlessly, without mercy and remained unaffected. He couldn't have said he was surprised when Itachi had then ruthlessly killed his entire family for the sake of his village. The one thing he hadn't understood was why the teenage boy had killed all his family except for his little brother. The little brother who had amounted to nothing in comparison, who had defected at the same age Itachi had made anbu captain and was at this very moment, reviving his power hungry clan.

It had to be stopped. The elders would have to be told and they would require proof. So he sat there, continuing to watch and listen as the Uchiha and Haruno brats talked to the other man. He didn't bother replacing the ceiling panel when he set the insulation back and moved through the crawlspace so that he was out in the hallway.

Temporarily giving up on following the Uchiha brat proved fruitful, he had followed the other man down the hallway and had plucked the man off his feet before he realized what was happening. After a quick punch in the face to stun the man, he was too frightened to do anything more than whimper as he carried him through the crawlspace, out of the hospital. The elder's shared home was closer to the hospital than the compound and was much quicker to get to even with the other man flung across his back.

"You have finally found something about the Uchiha?" Koharu Utatane asked as soon as he had stepped into their receiving room. The small rectangular room was dark, two chairs set up at the far end where the elders sat when they were dealing with official business. She was sitting in her chair as she always did but Homura Mitokado was noticeably absent from his own. He automatically lowered his head, dropping the hood of his cloak as he stepped forward but didn't pull off his old anbu mask. Old habits still died hard. Releasing the now silent man from his back, the sonographer collapsing on the floor as he stooped to kneel.

"Yes, Utatane-sama." He didn't lift his head when he answered and he didn't stop the man he had carried from scrambling to his knees, looking around wildly with a hand on his face, blood pouring from his nose.

"Well, Baku?" She had used his name for the first time since calling on him for this mission, which proved that he had finally had the success she had been looking for. He knew from her short acknowledgment that she was not in the mood to wait for Mitokado-sama and who was he to question it? He lifted his head and stood, grabbing the man by his bloodstained collar. The man remained on his knees, shocked at the sight of the female elder.

"I followed Sasuke Uchiha to the hospital again, he was meeting him." He pulled at the man's shirt, trying to get him to stand but he stubbornly refused to get his feet under him. Utatane-sama tilted her head at the man, studying him and Baku waited for orders with a smirk. He had once again demonstrated his worth to the elders and they would not tolerate the Uchiha trying to revive his clan.

"What is your name?" Utatane-sama asked. Baku tightened his grip on the man's collar, wondering if he would have to convince the man to speak. It seemed that the man would be willing; he finally got his feet under him and tried to pull away from his grasp.

"Kusushi," The man raised his shaking hand to readjust his glasses. "I'm a sonographer in the maternity ward at Leaf Hospital." Utatane-sama stared at him, attempting to figure out why the Uchiha brat had gone to see him.

"And why was Sasuke Uchiha meeting you?" She asked after a few short seconds. Kusushi seemed hesitant to answer, opening his mouth and then looking away from the female elder.

"He wasn't." The man sounded resolute.

"Do not lie!" Utatane-sama called out loudly. "Why was Sasuke Uchiha meeting with you?" Baku had watched the man flinch at the tone of voice but he didn't look up to the elder.

"They didn't tell me their names!" Kusushi spoke up. Utatane-sama looked to him with her sharp gaze for an answer.

"The Haruno girl was with him." He answered. The elder nodded to him and turned her attention back to the sonographer, her frown deepening. She had realized that whatever the Uchiha was doing, Sakura Haruno was also in on it and from there she could assume that the Hokage knew what they were doing to at least an extent.

"Everyone in this village can recognize the Uchiha brat, you don't need him to tell you his name." Baku watched the man avert his gaze, proving that he had known exactly whom he had been dealing with. "Why was the Uchiha meeting with you in the hospital?" The elder asked. The sonographer's jaw set and remained silent, even when the retired anbu shook him vigorously. "Baku." She barked out when she lost the patience to wait.

"The Uchiha met with him so he could get an ultrasound, he's pregnant." He watched in satisfaction as the frown on the elders face deepened and the man in his grasp stiffened. To his surprise, instead of the elder asking him more questions, she turned her head.

"Sai!" She called out. Baku turned his head as a panel in the wall opened and a dark haired figure stepped out. "What do you know of this?" The elder asked. The man was wearing all black, his pale midriff and forearms exposed. Dull black eyes looked Baku over for a brief moment before he directed his gaze to the man in his grasp. A few seconds later he returned his attention to Utatane-sama and stepped into the middle of the room, standing right next to the retired anbu.

"There have been rumors of Sasuke's pregnancy. As of yet, I have been unable to get close enough to determine them to be true." Sai spoke in a lifeless tone. The sonographer, who was still in his grasp, jerked his head towards the emotionless teen in surprise.

"Rumors? Had you heard of them, Baku?" Utatane-sama returned her attention to him and Baku felt a spark of anger begin to spread. He was at least three times the brat's age; he knew how to do his job.

"I was aware of the rumors." The retired anbu conceded. "Proof required further observation." He shook the man in his grasp for effect but he averted his gaze when the elder's stare remained on him. "Shall I kill him?" Even he knew it was a poor attempt to retain what little favor he had left with the female elder.

"I do not think that would be wise." Sai spoke out. "If he goes missing or is found dead, the Uchiha will be suspicious and will raise his guard, even more so than it is now." Baku narrowed his eyes at him, looking for any emotion that he could call the young boy out on while Utatane-sama considered what he had said.

"Sai, take him back to the hospital. I'm sure he has already been missed." The elder motioned her hand at him. "I would keep this meeting to yourself and be grateful you still have your life, Kusushi." Sai dutifully moved around Baku as Kusushi nodded his head, taking the sonographer out of his grasp and pushing him out of the room. "Baku." The elder called out his name with a low tone once the two had left the room. "I want you to continue your surveillance on the Uchiha."

"Yes, Utatane-sama." He felt the pride swell in his chest as he dropped to his knee again. Even retired and in old age, he could still be of use to the elders and his village. Koharu Utatane raised herself from her chair, smoothing her robes in a calm fashion.

"And when you get the chance, kill him." Baku bowed his head to the elder as she left to keep his widening grin hidden.

"Of course." He responded. It didn't matter if Sai was younger or the elder's favorite, this job was entrusted to him. He would be the one to finish Itachi's work and end the Uchiha bloodline once and for all.

* * *

The slamming of the door made Sasuke jump in surprise, looking to who stood in the doorway. Sakura barged into the room, tugging, to the Uchiha's surprise, Sai by his elbow. She turned around, motioned outside of the door and watched as his sonographer poked his head into the room warily, blood drying on his face and clothes. He dropped the file in his hands into it's alphabetically ordered spot and slammed the filing cabinet shut and moved to sit behind the desk spinning in the swivel chair to face them so he could hide his stomach from sight.

"Tell him." The pink haired woman growled. "Tell him what you told me." That immediately set Sasuke on edge and he turned his attention to Sai. His look-alike was grimacing while looking anywhere but at the Uchiha. Sakura shoved Sai forward with force, his knees bumping into the desk between them. The Uchiha could feel his teammates rage just under the surface and he had to think, what was his sonographer doing here with her and Sai?

"The elders know." Sai answered. It took all of Sasuke's concentration to keep his face a calm, collected mask when the other dark haired male finally met his glare. At least the asshole wasn't wearing that stupid smile he normally had on his face. Sakura sighed heavily and turned to the ultrasound technician who was still hovering outside the door.

"Hey, let's get you cleaned up while they duke it out." The pinkette stepped out of the room and faced the man in the glasses.

"You mean fight? In the records room!" The technician cried out. Sasuke could see them out of his peripherals, Sakura ushering him away from the doorway and she reached back and shut the door before he could hear more of the technician's qualms about the destruction of records.

"Know about what?" Sasuke growled. Sai's courage seemed to fail him again and he looked away, turning his body away from the Uchiha.

"That you're with child." Sai responded quietly. The Uchiha inhaled quietly through his nose and leaned back. He watched how the other dark-haired male glanced over to him, to see his expanded stomach now that it wasn't hidden under the desk.

"How did you find out?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. Sai shifted his stance, crossing his arms over his chest while still keeping his gaze away from the Uchiha's face.

"There were rumors, women said they saw you in a maternity shop. I didn't know for certain until Utatane-sama called me to their home, Baku had your sonographer there already." Sai chanced a second glance at Sasuke's stomach and he let him.

"Baku?" Sasuke frowned at the name. Sai shifted again, turning to face the Uchiha with his arms still crossed.

"The man whose been watching you." The other man answered. His deadened stare met Sasuke's gaze calmly now. "Utatane-sama threatened to kill the sonographer if he told you the elders are aware of your pregnancy so I'm doing it for him."

"Why are you telling me?" Sasuke leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. With a single change in his facial expression, the Uchiha softened his glare to just a stare. Sai noticed the change and dropped his arms, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"You're not just doing this for yourself." Sai's lips quirked upwards for a brief second but before Sasuke could scowl at the bastard for trying to pull that shit with him, he dropped it. "I may not know what love is exactly, but you love Naruto-kun." Sasuke couldn't stop himself from tensing at that.

"I've told you before, my relationship with Naruto-" Sasuke started.

"It's none of my concern." Sai interrupted. "I came to warn you, to help because the elders are going to come after you." Sasuke frowned at him as he continued. "Naruto-kun is my friend. I want to protect what's important to him, his precious person and his unborn child." Sasuke could see the man's eyes harden before he looked away. He stared at Sai, wondering just how much emotion the other male was feeling to show even the smallest amount in his expression. It was obvious something about the elders coming after Naruto's precious person, or more likely an unborn child didn't sit well with him. Sai uncharacteristically shifted his weight from one foot to another before hesitantly glancing at the pregnant male again. "Can I ask you something?" Sai tilted his head.

"What?" The Uchiha retorted gruffly. They both stared at each other; Sasuke waiting for the other to ask his question, Sai, probably trying to guess what emotion the Uchiha was showing.

"Why did you go to the maternity shop? You had to have known it would cause the rumors of your pregnancy to spread and catch the elders' attention." Sai forced his mouth downwards, into what looked to be a frown. The pregnant male raised an eyebrow, silently debating if he should tell him the reason. It had only been a few days prior when he realized why he had let Sakura talk him into going to the maternity shop, why going had been important.

"Ever since I was brought back, I have been hiding." Sasuke stood, setting his hands on the desk. "I'm not going to keep my pregnancy a secret from anyone anymore." Sasuke raised one of his hands and ran it through his hair. Sai's facial expression didn't change in the slightest, to busy thinking about what the Uchiha had said. All too soon the door to the records room opened and Sakura stuck her head in.

"Are you two done?" The pinkette looked to Sasuke with a nervous expression but the Uchiha still had his eyes trained on Sai. "Sasuke, there are some things I think we need to discuss."

"Yes," Sasuke stood up, started to zip up his jacket and looked to Sai. "You're going to go to the Hokage and tell her what you told me. Let her decide what to do about the elders." The Uchiha raised his eyebrows at Sai and the other dark haired male nodded with that stupid, emotionless smile already back in place.

"Oh, and congratulations." Sai bowed to the Uchiha with his fake smile before turning away.

"Right," Sakura leaned against the doorframe and let Sai walk past her. Sasuke sat back down in the swivel chair and watched Sakura close the door to the records room. "So they know?" She murmured. Sasuke nodded and the pinkette sighed heavily, setting her hands on her hips. "I had hoped Naruto would be back before they found out. What do you think they could be doing in Suna for so long?" Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, setting a hand on his stomach as he tried to imagine what his blonde was doing.


	24. Leaving Suna

**September twenty first, still the nineteenth week**

It was a knock on the door that woke the blonde from his nap; he opened his eyes and looked over to Kakashi who was sitting on the edge of his own bed. Naruto sat up and stretched as the white haired male stood and opened the door and blinked in mild surprise when Matsuri poked her head in. "The Kazekage's free tonight, I'll escort you all when you're ready." The redheaded woman glanced to Naruto with a nod before turning around and knocking on Apricot and Yamato's door.

"Finally, who knew being the Kazekage would mean no free time?" Naruto stretched his arms above his head and rolled to the edge of the bed lazily to grab his shoes.

"Gaara-sama takes his job seriously," Matsuri called out from the hallway. "I'm sure you can appreciate that, Naruto." The blonde leaned onto the bed so he could look out the door, the sand ninja turned her head, smiling at him, practically beaming compared to how she acted when they first met.

"Oh hey, Matsuri." Apricot bit her lip nervously when she opened the door. Her hair was wet but already in a braid with the spiked strap and the blonde gave her a quick smile before reaching for his shoes.

"Hi," The sand ninja responded gently. "Wake Yamato up for me, will you? We've got work to do." Naruto stood up and grabbed his jacket and pulled it on. He picked up his pack from the floor and slung it over his shoulder, grunting at the weight of it.

"We're starting again?" The younger redhead watched the sand ninja nod and then let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! I thought we'd be stuck here forever." She turned around and moved back into the room. "Yamato!" Apricot yelled. Naruto watched as Matsuri raised a hand to cover her smile and walked down the hall to wait for them outside.

"Looks like your advice worked." Kakashi pulled his shoes on as Naruto walked past him. The blonde grinned and stepped out in the hallway, checking to see if the sand ninja was out of earshot. The white haired male picked up his own pack, the blonde could hear the fabric of it shifting against his back. "That's a pleasant surprise."

"When you're in love with someone like Sasuke, you get pretty well acquainted with effort justification and Gaara is definitely a tsundere type." Naruto grinned and peeked into the other room, watching the brunet male leaning over his bed, his green flak jacket already on the bed as he gathered his gear.

"Sun-dare?" Apricot moved to the door, her forehead protector in her hand and shoes on her feet. "What does that have to do with whatever 'effort justification' is?" Naruto nodded to her as Kakashi stepped out of the room. Apricot was lugging her pack out of the room, dragging it across the floor.

"Effort justification, it's the tendency to put more value into things we invest effort into and it is pronounced ' _tsundere_ ', not sun-dare. It's someone who's hostile, or cold on the outside but soft and," He paused to think of the word to use. "And mushy, on the inside." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall opposite of Apricot, his pack pressing against his back. "You gotta put some effort into getting past a tsundere's walls and when you do, you understand that it was worth it." Apricot twisted her face into an expression of bewilderment; either that or she was constipated.

"So, Sasuke's a tsundere?" She looked to Kakashi. "Mushy on the inside, and the Kazekage is too?" The blonde nodded and grinned at Kakashi who shrugged his shoulders as he readjusted his facemask.

"Yep, but for different reasons." Naruto gave her a knowing smile and the redhead raised her eyebrows in confusion. She grabbed one of the straps of her pack and lifted it up to pull it onto her back.

"Look at you, combining social psychology and one of Kakashi's favorite character types from _Icha Icha Paradise_." Yamato's voice echoed as he opened the bathroom door. "Do we have time for dinner?"

"No, we don't." Kakashi answered him. "We'll eat on the way back." The tired male gave Kakashi a deadened stare.

"Let's go get this over with then." Yamato muttered as he pulled on his forehead protector, moved to the doorway and slipped his feet into his shoes. With one arm, the dark haired man picked his pack up and slipped it on his back easily. He shut the door to the room and ushered for the other three to start walking.

"Someone's a little grumpy after their nap." Kyoko murmured. She slumped against the wall before pushing off and walking down the hall. Naruto was already following her, Kakashi and Yamato right behind him.

"This is the last time we're doing this and I'm ready to go back home." Yamato huffed in aggravation. "Besides, I was ready to do this two days ago." They reached the stairwell, Apricot darted up the stairs and Naruto followed at slower pace.

"We're only supposed to do it under the Kazekage's supervision, you know that, Yamato." Kakashi sighed loudly. It echoed as the walked up the eight flights of stairs to the roof and they found Matsuri waiting for them, staring out at the setting sun.

"Ready?" She turned around and stared at them. Yamato stepped in front of Apricot and nodded, following the sand ninja off the rooftop, Apricot followed him next then Kakashi and lastly Naruto. It was a quick trip to the outskirts; back to the familiar old building with it's boarded up windows. Matsuri stopped on a rooftop across from the protective wall of earth and nodded to them as they jumped down to the street.

"After you." Yamato opened the door to the building, letting Apricot in first before walking in and holding the door open for Kakashi and Naruto. The blonde smiled up at Matsuri before he closed the door and followed everyone else upstairs. "Alright, this is the last chance we have to do this here so make it count." Yamato stared at Naruto as he pulled off his pack, sat down and crossed his legs.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." The blonde rolled his eyes. He slipped off his pack and dumped it next to Yamato's, Kakashi dropped his own next to him and Apricot collapsed down onto the floor to slip the straps off her shoulders. Naruto looked to the stairs when he heard the door open again and after a few seconds, Gaara was walking up the creaking stairs. Apricot was sitting next to him, careful to keep her distance so they wouldn't touch accidentally and Kakashi had taken up his normal place by the window after lighting all of the lamps in the corners of the room. "Hey, Gaara, you find anything about the chakra pathways?"

"Nothing of use." The Kazekage murmured. "My apologies for the delay." He moved into the room, ignoring the way Kyoko stiffened, and eyed their packs.

"Don't worry about it, we've been taking up more time than we had planned to begin with." Kakashi responded. Naruto watched as Yamato took the time to stretch his arms and straighten his back to crack several of his vertebrae.

"I've heard from Matsuri that you'll be leaving after this?" Gaara was looking at Yamato but when the man didn't look up he turned his attention to Kakashi nodded.

"More or less, depending on how everyone feels afterwards. It's an unnecessary risk to let Apricot's seal deteriorate any more without the proper seal to strengthen it." Kakashi explained. Naruto could see Gaara's forehead wrinkle and he knew what was coming. "We would have brought it but it would have been pointless without the one who made them and can use them properly." Kakashi raised his hand to his cloth covered chin as Gaara turned his attention to Naruto.

"Is it who I think it is?" The redhead inclined his head toward Naruto and it took a good deal of concentration to not smile at him.

"Yep, the one and only." Naruto sighed. Apricot looked between them in confusion as the blonde tugged off his jacket, setting it on the floor.

"Uh, what are we talking about, exactly?" She asked. Yamato sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation. That made Naruto snort, a smile finally breaking onto his face, both redheads looked to him, one with a blank expression and the other was frowning.

"None of your concern, Apricot." Kakashi called out. "Let's go." The white haired male looked up to the Kazekage who nodded back to him. "Whenever you want to start, Yamato." The brunet nodded to him and took a deep breath. Naruto folded his legs in front of him and got comfortable where he was sitting.

"Ten minutes. Ready when you guys are." Yamato stilled in his position, watching the blonde intently. Looking over to Apricot, Naruto smiled and watched as the girl followed his lead, tucking her feet under her legs.

"Alright, don't freak out this time when Kyuubi finds you. He can't hurt you if you don't let his chakra out." Apricot opened her mouth to retort but Naruto shook his head and continued on. "You control what gets through the seal."

"I got it!" Kyoko cried out. She rolled her eyes and looked up to the ceiling. "Come on already, you've been telling me the same things since we got here!" The girl glared at Naruto and he couldn't help but stare at her in mild shock.

"Okay, okay." Naruto looked back to Yamato who blinked at the redhead, surprised. The blonde held his hand out and watched as Apricot set her own hand on top of his. "Go ahead." He waited for her to close her eyes before he did himself, concentrating on the place inside his mind where Kyuubi was caged. Naruto could smell the burning of his skin this time; maybe it was just because he knew it would be happening in the outside world. When he opened his eyes again, he stood in front of Kyuubi's cage, the whole room smelling like burned flesh. Kyuubi's chakra was roiling behind the bars like it had been the last time he'd been here but the fox's face was missing from the cage. That set the blonde on edge; he surveyed the damp sewer like room for any hint of Apricot.

"Apricot?" He called out. There was a sound of movement in the cage but Kyuubi had yet to reveal himself. Naruto stared through the bars but the thrum of Kyuubi's chakra pulsing through him was the only indication that the fox knew the girl was there.

"Yeah?" She called out tentatively. The sound came through cage like it had before and Naruto tilted his head, listening to any sound he could hear rather than trying to see through the darkness.

"The fox is looking for you, he's not talking to me so don't be surprised when he shows his giant ass teeth." Naruto stepped closer to the cage and stopped when he heard Kyuubi growl.

"The whining whelp, we finally meet." Kyuubi's deep voice reverberated through the blonde's consciousness and Naruto nearly jerked back in surprise. "Thought you could hide from me forever?"

"Yeah, little too late for that!" Apricot called out almost hysterically. The fox growled from inside the cage viciously and the redhead cried out as a 'thumping' sound echoed to Naruto's consciousness. Naruto could guess that the girl tripped trying to back away from the cage and he felt slightly bad for her.

"Kyoko!" The blonde yelled into the cage. Blood red chakra was bubbling up against the bars but Naruto refused to let any of it pass through and a new wave of the burning smell seemed to hit his nostrils.

"What?" The girl screamed back. "I'm not letting the chakra get through, what do you want me to do now?" Naruto didn't know if she was talking to him or Kyuubi.

"Tell me, whelp." Kyuubi spoke before Naruto could answer her. "How did half of my chakra get shoved inside you?" The fox growled.

"Naruto, is there anything I should be doing?" Apricot's hysterical whimper echoed inside his mind. His thoughts were racing as he felt the demon's chakra pull away from his side of the cage.

"Look into the cage, can you see me?" Naruto called out.

"No. It's dark and I think Kyuubi is in the way!" Apricot yelled back. "How do I get him to move?"

"Oh, trying to ignore me, little bitch?" Kyuubi rumbled. Naruto could hear the smirk on the fox's lips. He flinched as the pungent smell of burning flesh hit again, this time with a flash of sensation crawled through his right hand, where

"Alright." Naruto muttered under his breath. "Tell me what you see, in detail. What is Kyuubi doing?" The blonde moved, starting to pace the length of the cage as his whole right hand started to tingle.

"I, I don't know!" Apricot yelled. "He's trying to break through the seal, his chakra is everywhere." Naruto nearly screamed in frustration as he turned and started walking down the length of the cage again.

"Concentrate! We have to get this done now, before the ten minutes run out." He found himself clenching his right hand and flexed it when the tingling grew stronger.

"Oh, you have a time limit!" Kyuubi cackled. "Do you really think that's going to stop me?" Naruto felt the chakra pull on his side of the cage as one of the blood red eyes appeared in the darkness. The nine tailed fox stared at him with the one eye and he almost stopped his pacing to glare back at him.

"The chakra is pushing at the bars, they're cracking and it's leaking out. It's picking at the new seals, I can force them back with my own chakra but it's hard." Apricot's voice was high pitched, obviously stressed and Naruto watched as Kyuubi's eye disappeared into the darkness again. He looked down at his hands, trying to think through what she was telling him.

"Her conscious and mine are connected when we're touching," Naruto mumbled softly to himself. "And Kyuubi's chakra is forcing its way out through Apricot's unfinished seal. She can push it back with her chakra but how can she use it to stop him from escaping?" Naruto paused as it dawned on him. "She can push it back with her own chakra." He repeated.

"What are you mumbling about, brat?" The nine-tailed demon snarled. Naruto stopped his pacing, and faced the cage again, hoping this would work.

"Kyoko!" Naruto winced as the tingling in his hand strengthened again, this time his hand going numb.

"Yeah?" Apricot's voice echoed back uncertainly. The blonde clenched his jaw, flexing the fingers in his right hand to try and get back any kind of feeling he could.

"Don't force just the escaping chakra back behind the seal, push it all back towards me, as hard as you can!" He listened to his voice echo into the fox's cage and then there was a split second of absolute silence.

"What are you playing at?" Kyuubi's face whirled out of the darkness and suddenly the fox's chakra was pushing up against his seal. The tingling spread to his wrist and the blonde had to stare the fox down so he wouldn't nervously shift.

"You want me to do what?" Kyoko's voice sounded relieved. He couldn't tell if it was because Kyuubi was no longer focusing on her or if the demon had momentarily stopped his assault on her seal.

"Do it, now!" The blonde yelled. Kyuubi glared at him, his fangs parting as red chakra crashed across the bars of the cage, unable to get past it.

"Okay!" Apricot's cry echoed from the darkness.

"No!" Kyuubi's face disappeared again as the echo resounded but whatever the fox had been planning to do, he didn't get the chance. Naruto watched as the chakra bubbled against the bars of the cage but the seal held. "I will kill her and you," The demon snarled. "You, her, and your bitch and unborn kit." Opening his mouth to respond, the blonde tensed. The tingling in his hand was spreading up his arm, almost painfully to his collarbone and grit his teeth to keep from yelling out. Whatever was happening behind the bars, on Apricot's side, it didn't stop and the fox snarled wordlessly in the darkness of his cage.

"You can try but I won't let you." Naruto snapped back at him. His whole right arm was numb and it was spreading to his chest and back as the chakra built behind the seal. A red haze came over what was visible of the fox, his already red eyes and teeth and the blonde could feel the pressure increasing. The amount of chakra almost felt overwhelming. "Come on, Apricot!"

Naruto stared into the haze, waiting for the entirety of Kyuubi's chakra to hit, the tingling in his arm growing painful and almost unbearable. The weight of the sealed chakra was curling in his stomach and a wave of nausea hit him, if it was caused by the accumulation of chakra or the burning of the skin of his arms he couldn't be sure. It happened suddenly, Naruto was just staring into the darkness of the fox's cage and abruptly, the red tinged black started to fade just left of Kyuubi's fangs. The blonde took a step forward, eyes widening in surprise when he saw Apricot on the other side. He saw the girl's bright green eyes widen in surprise as more of the image became clearer, more than just her face but her entire upper body with her arms out stretched in front of her.

"What?" Kyoko's mouth dropped open. Before the blonde could respond, everything went black and the tingling in his right arm escalating into an intense, searing pain.

"Aah-augh!" Naruto couldn't stop himself from crying out as he became aware of his physical state. He tried to jerk away from the pain but his body was restrained by the familiar touch of wood. The first thing he did when he opened his eyes was to look down at his right hand and flinched at what he saw. The tips of his fingertips were black, the back of his palm a dark, bloody red. His arm was varying shades of pink and red, the deeper burns had black edges and it covered his entire arm, past the sleeve of his shirt and across his shoulder. Yamato's restraints had him by the neck and upper chest and he could see Apricot wasn't in any better of a position. The wood curled tightly around her wrist all the way up to her arm and around neck and chest, all the way down to her waist.

"What happened in there?" It was Yamato who asked but the blonde let out pained grunt as his restraints loosened and then disappeared altogether, allowing him to curl into himself. The pain was agonizing and his instant regeneration had yet to kick in. He heard Apricot whimper as Yamato probably dropped her restraints as well.

"His hand looks worse than it did last time." Apricot murmured breathlessly. Naruto's vision dimmed, the sandy floor blurring as he tried to remember to breathe. "He doesn't look too good." She whispered. Another wave of pain hit him, he could feel something oozing on his elbow and wondered briefly if it was blood or something else.

"Kyuubi's chakra is burning not only his pathways, it's burning his muscles and skin." Gaara told her in a cold voice. Even on the verge of passing out, Naruto could hear the concern. Naruto took another deep breath, feeling bile rise to the back of his throat as the pain sharpened before steadily disappearing. The tingling sensation took the place of the pain as his skin grew back from his shoulder down.

"Our consciousness touched," Naruto gasped. "I saw her, through the fox's cage." He sat up, his vision clearing as the burned parts of his upper arm flaked off, replaced by new skin.

"Show me the seal, Apricot. I need to check the degradation." The blonde heard Yamato use a commanding tone. A quick glance at the girl and he watched her lift her shirt again. The seal looked mostly intact, if not a little faded. The black marking around the edges were definitely cracked but nothing that looked dangerous as far as Naruto could see. "We're good, it could last maybe a few months of close contact before it'd be in any danger of breaking." Apricot lowered her shirt quickly, a look of relief clear on her face.

"Interesting." Kakashi mumbled. The blonde turned his head to see that the white haired man was walking around to face him, his visible eye trained on his burned and blackened arm. Naruto raised his arm up for his old sensei to see as the regenerating skin finally peeked from his shirt, going for his elbow first.

"That is so gross." Apricot winced. "It's slower than last time too." The blonde could see her shy away from him in his peripherals as the skin of his forearm grew anew.

"I'm surprised you can handle this." Kakashi retorted. Naruto turned his arm and brought his other hand up to scratch at the new skin, turning his attention to Yamato who was staring at his arm with an expression of disgusted fascination. "Kazekage, have we told you the story of how we learned Apricot is claustrophobic?" Gaara shook his head in response, looking intently at Naruto's arm as it regenerated.

"That has nothing to do with this!" Apricot blurted out. "I've seen animals burned sorta like that from forest fires back home." The young girl muttered. "Helped patch them up." Pain radiated from his wrist but Naruto could handle it and watched the burns disappear.

"So, your consciousness touched her consciousness?" Yamato raised an eyebrow. "The burn spread more than just your hand. The nine-tailed demon's chakra burned your entire arm; I could see it on your neck from here. What happened differently?" The blonde sighed as the skin of his palm regenerated, quickly followed by his fingers.

"That's because she pushed the chakra back at me, my side of the cage, she was pushing it into my chakra pathways on purpose." Naruto explained. He moved all of his fingers, checking the regenerated skin for deformities that he knew he would never find. He glanced up, first to Kakashi who was still looking at his hand, then Kyoko who looked away as soon as they made eye contact. Yamato blinked at him once before looking to Kakashi expectantly and finally, the blonde looked up to the Kazekage.

"The chakra she, pushed, at you, it was Kyuubi's chakra?" Gaara stared back at Naruto unblinkingly. The blonde dropped his hand into his lap, feeling his nerve endings respond as normally as he could tell.

"Yeah." He shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on his hands. "Apricot told me that the fox's chakra could leak through her seal, that's why it keeps deteriorating. What she can do is force it back using her own chakra, which is probably why she can't do instant regeneration."

"Wait a minute, the reason her seal deteriorates," Yamato pointed to the girl. "Is because Kyuubi's chakra can leak through it?" Naruto glanced to Apricot, and then nodded tentatively.

"Not in large amounts, unless I let it through." Kyoko responded quickly. Kakashi shifted his weight from one foot to another and the redheaded girl looked up to him and stiffened. Naruto tilted his head to look at the white haired man but whatever expression he had showed Apricot, it was long gone from his face.

"What do we do with that information?" Yamato asked. Naruto frowned as he tried to think of a better way of explaining it.

"I don't get this at all." Apricot moaned. The blonde glanced to her and then looked to the sandy floor when the idea came to mind.

"Here," Naruto leaned forward and splayed his hand across the sandy floor, spreading the sand out enough so he could draw in it. "This is Apricot's consciousness and this," He made a half circle in the sand on his right and then drew another to the left of it, to make two opposing half circles. "Is my consciousness. Both with half of Kyuubi's chakra sealed inside them."

"Normally, when we're not trying to get to Kyuubi, the chakra inside Apricot is trying to escape so she has to expend chakra to keep it behind the seal rather than use it for instant regeneration." Naruto drew little lines in the space between the two half circles which represented the escaping chakra. "I think it's a spatial thing, the closer we are physically the stronger the pull. The faster the seal deteriorates, the more chakra she has to use to contain it." The blonde sighed and looked up to Gaara again but the redhead shook his head in response.

"I've never seen or heard anything like this." The Kazekage told him. Apricot nervously glanced up to him but quickly lowered her gaze again as her hand went up to her braid.

"When we're trying to get to Kyuubi, the two seals connect," The blonde drew two lines to connect the two half circles, making a rectangle out of the space. "The fox's split chakra combines again, or is at least trying to. When I told Apricot to push the chakra to my side of the cage." He pressed his hand down in the rectangle and pushed all the sand in it to the left, over the half circle line that represented his consciousness.

"She shoved it into your conscious, that caused the physical burning?" Yamato questioned him as the blonde pulled on his jacket.

"Yeah, I think so." Naruto looked to him, seeing the concentrated frown on the man's face and shrugged. "There was so much chakra that my body didn't know how to handle it or something like that. That's the only explanation I can think of." Naruto shifted his gaze to Kakashi and blinked in surprise, the man was still staring at his hand.

"It's a possibility, we won't know for sure until we can learn more." Kakashi sighed. The white haired man blinked and finally looked up to the Kazekage.

"Back in Konoha." Gaara stated plainly. Kakashi nodded and Yamato let out a sigh of relief as he moved to stand up. Naruto winced as he heard the bones in the man's knees pop but he grinned up at Yamato when the older man gave him a pointed look.

"Yup." Naruto said happily. He pushed himself to his feet and kicked the drawing of sand out of existence. "It was nice to hang out like this, Gaara, but it's time we hit the road." The redhead male stepped forward, raising his hand out for a handshake but Naruto ignored it for hugging his friend.

"You call this hanging out? We left Konoha weeks ago." Apricot grumbled. She gave the blonde a dirty look and slipped the straps of her pack onto her shoulders before rolling onto her knees so she could move to stand.

"It was really good to see you again." The blonde whispered. He slapped his friend on the back as the Kazekage tentatively raised his hand to return the friendly embrace. He heard both Kakashi and Yamato pull their bags from the floor.

"Go on outside, Apricot. Yamato, you might want to stretch before we leave." The white haired male told them. Naruto didn't bother to look over to see if they did as they were told, their echoing steps down the creaking stairs.

"Perhaps next time, it'll be under better circumstances." Gaara replied quietly. Naruto felt his friend's hands drop and he pulled away from the hug, moving his hands to the redhead's shoulders.

"Maybe I'll be in the guard detail sent with Rock Lee when he takes the liaison job." Naruto smirked mischievously and winked. He watched as the redhead's eyes widened, his cheeks flushing pink and mouth drop open in surprise.

"If he takes the liaison job." Kakashi spoke up. Naruto watched Gaara try to recover his emotionless mask, closing his gaping mouth and looked away from the grinning blonde.

"If he applied for the liaison job," Naruto rolled his eyes as he dropped his hands. "Or was requested for it." It seemed that Gaara couldn't stop his face from turning an even darker shade of red and Naruto's grin widened.

"Naruto." Kakashi called out. The blonde glanced over to him, sticking his hands in his pockets in an attempt to look innocent.

"I know, I know. That's classified information between him and the Hokage." Naruto raised his eyebrows as high as they could go on his forehead and picked up his pack, still smiling. "I'll talk to Rock Lee about the job, put in a good word for you." The red flush had started to fade from Gaara's face but that brought it right back. Naruto could feel the white haired man's exasperation in the air as he moved to the stairs. Gaara started to follow him, his tentative gaze meeting the blonde's. Naruto dropped his grin into a warm smile and followed Kakashi and the Kazekage down to the first floor. Yamato was already eating; an unwrapped package of granola in his hands and Apricot was tapping her shoes against the sandy floor.

"You sure you packed everything?" Kakashi asked the redheaded girl. Apricot gave him a blank stare and then looked to her pack on the floor.

"I guess." Apricot shrugged her shoulders. Yamato finished his granola and stuffed the empty wrapper into his pocket; he opened the door and stepped outside. Gaara and Naruto followed him while the white haired male waited for Kyoko to put her pack back on. The September air had already cooled off and was chilly; Naruto immediately went to zip up his jacket. Matsuri jumped down from a rooftop as Apricot and Kakashi exited the rickety old house. She stepped up behind the Kazekage, looking to him with an expression Naruto thought to be reverence. It was good the woman still admired him, even though he couldn't return her affections.

"Matsuri will take you to out of the village and point you in the right direction." Gaara told them. Naruto turned his attention to the redheaded male with a smile.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Kazekage-sama." Kakashi spoke formally. He, Naruto, and Yamato all bowed at the same time, Apricot doing so half a second later with Kakashi's hand on the back of her neck.

"I wish you all safe travels." Gaara told them in a softer, yet still formal tone. Naruto raised his head with a smile and watched as the redheaded man gave him a quick lopsided smile in return. Matsuri stepped forward and the Kazekage turned and walked away. They followed the sand ninja to the gates of the village, past them and into the desert. It was colder outside of the village, with no walls to protect them from the bone chilling wind. There was no moon to speak of, only the stars that twinkled down at them. Naruto looked all around as they kept moving, taking in the sight of endless sand dunes and sky, dappled with tiny specks of light.

"You keep in that direction and you'll hit the forest soon enough." The woman pointed in the direction they had been going and stepped back for them to pass by her. "Travel safe."

"Thank you." Yamato told her as he passed while Kakashi just nodded. Apricot waved with a smile and Naruto did the same before turning and picked up his pace to a run to keep up with the group.

"Can't wait to get the sand out of my shoes." Apricot muttered as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Thought you'd be more excited to get the shoes off." Yamato called out in return. They were moving side by side a few feet apart from each other, kicking up sand behind them. Kyoko was stuck between Yamato and Kakashi and Naruto on the other side of the white haired leader.

"I don't know," Apricot shrugged her shoulders. "I kinda like them." Naruto looked over to the girl in surprise. "The blisters aren't so bad, at least not bad enough for Kyuubi's chakra to fix. Not to mention it's way better than soaking my feet in water for half an hour." The redhead continued. The blonde watched her trip over a small dune of sand, her shadowed figure dropping behind them. She let out a cry as she fell but it was one of surprise, not pain and the blonde wanted to laugh.

"Never thought I'd hear her say that." The blonde chuckled. He looked over to Kakashi whose visible eye was already trained on him. Apricot was scrambling behind him, spluttering as sand probably hit her face.

"Beats looking at her feet without them." Kakashi replied. Yamato snorted as Apricot managed to catch up to them again. "We'll take a break at dawn, eat what you have in your packs if you get hungry." The white haired man called out.

"Dawn?" Apricot cried out. "That's hours from now!" Naruto watched as she nearly tripped over another dune.

"Why are you complaining? We went just as hard on the way here." Yamato griped back.

"Are we seriously going to keep that kind of pace again?" Apricot asked. She gave a pleading look to Naruto but the blonde grinned at her in response. "I don't understand what the rush is." Naruto looked to Kakashi and then down to Yamato in the darkness, trying to figure out who would be the one to explain the situation to her.

"You've been in close contact with Naruto for two weeks and your seal has been deteriorating." Yamato shoved his hand to his pockets, rummaging as they continued to move through the desert and pulled out another packaged bar of food.

"But I've got months before it starts to break again, you said so yourself." Apricot huffed. The blonde rolled his eyes and looked up at the darkened sky again,

"Maybe, I said you've maybe got a few months. It took the seal over a decade to hit it's breaking point last time but only because you two were so far apart. We don't have that luxury this time around." Yamato explained. The man fiddled with the wrapper of his food before biting into it.

"Yamato forgot to mention that the only person who can strengthen your seal when it weakens is Sasuke, who we left behind to come here." Kakashi sighed. "We took a fair amount of risk doing so." Kyoko turned her head to look at the white haired male.

"That's why they've been so cautious about us being in such close proximity or physically touching. We keep this pace and get back to Konoha as soon as possible, no more complaining." The blonde stated. He waited a few seconds but Apricot didn't seem to have anything more to say. They went on in silence until Naruto could see a looming black shadow between the sky and sands, the forest.

"We'll take a two minute break to get the sand out of our shoes and then keep moving." Kakashi called out. Naruto grinned in relief; the forest meant no more sand in his shoes and a fair amount of protection against the cold winds. It took them only a few more minutes to reach the trees and they jumped up to the nearest branch that could hold their weight to stand. Naruto, along with Kakashi and Yamato, immediately moved to take their shoes off while Apricot collapsed against the trunk of the tree, breathing heavily. The blonde tugged his shoes back on, sand free and took the few extra seconds he had plucking a food package from his pack. He tore it open and watched the shadowed figure of Kyoko pull her shoes off.

"Come on, you're wasting time." Kakashi told the girl. Naruto bit into tasteless energy bar, munching on it as the redhead dumped out the sand from her shoes. "Apricot." The white haired man called out in warning. "We will leave you behind."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Apricot grunted back. She shoved on her shoes again and stood up. Kakashi jumped as soon as she was fully standing and Naruto followed him while Yamato was a short second behind him. Kyoko caught up to them quickly, her landings softer compared to the heavy thuds of each man's weight. "Naruto, how are the Kazekage and Sasuke both tsundere types but are different?" Apricot spoke up.

"You've been thinking about that all this time?" Yamato asked. Naruto stopped mid chew and looked back to the younger girl, watching her shadowed frame follow him.

"It's just that, they're not alike, like at all." Apricot called out. "I don't get it." Naruto swallowed the food in his mouth and slipped the half eaten package back in his pocket.

"Gaara's cold exterior is a combination of his shyness and inability to communicate. He doesn't know how to interact with people, how to respond to them and he doesn't do it on purpose." Naruto paused when Apricot sneezed loudly. "Sasuke on the other hand, he makes it hard for anyone to get close to him. He's a mean bastard when he wants to be but most of the time, he just finds it hard to," The blonde frowned, raised his hand to his chin to tap his finger absentmindedly. "Properly communicate."

"Properly communicate? That boy beat you to a bloody pulp for staring at him for too long." Yamato spoke out loudly. Naruto grinned at the memory and pulled out his food package, intent on taking another bite.

"When did that happen?" Apricot asked. She pushed herself to catch up to Yamato and the blonde could hear their landings synchronize.

"Within the first five minutes after his chakra cuffs were removed, wasn't it?" Yamato asked.

"Yes it was." Kakashi called back quickly. The white haired male had been there to see it and was the one who spread the story around their group of friends.

"Chakra cuffs?" Apricot's voice was barely louder than the wind rushing past Naruto's ears.

"Handcuffs that inhibit the use of chakra, leaves the person wearing them pretty vulnerable." Yamato told her. The blonde shoved the last bit of the food into his mouth, stowing the empty wrapping in his pants pocket.

"I know what chakra cuffs are." Apricot shot back angrily. "That's not what I misunderstood, why did Sasuke have them on in the first place? Was it when Naruto brought him back?" Naruto barely caught the question and frowned when he heard it.

"Well it was one of the only times Sasuke was forced to wear them. The other time was during the chunin exams." Yamato answered.

"How could I have possibly known that?" Apricot responded. She jumped ahead to catch up with Naruto, staring at him through the darkness. Naruto shook his head and moved ahead of her again, past Kakashi this time. "Why would Sasuke beat you to a bloody pulp anyway?" Apricot tried again. She didn't follow him past the white haired male and the blonde was grateful for that.

"Their relationship is complicated, let's leave it at that." Kakashi answered. The blonde had tried to ignore it but the nauseous feeling in his stomach came back. It felt stronger, curling in his middle and rising up his throat like he was choking on it.

"Can we hurry it up? I've got that feeling again." Naruto called back to them. He could see the three shadowy forms of his team following him and quickly turned around again to see where he was going. Kakashi caught up to him quietly, moving right beside him and the blonde glanced over to him.

"You've had that feeling for two weeks, another three days won't change anything." The white haired man spoke softly. A shiver ran up his spine and Naruto shook his head, grimacing. Kakashi turned his head to give the blonde a careful look and Naruto met his gaze steadily.

"I think that's what I'm afraid of."


	25. Bad Dream & Evil Scheme

**September twenty third, the twentieth week,**

" _Sorry, Sasuke…" He stared in shock at the bloodied and battered man in front of him. Sasuke watched in shock as his brother raise his hand and tapped him on the forehead. "This is the last time."_

" _Itachi!" He cried out, raising his hands out to catch Itachi's falling body. The body never collapsed into his grasp and Sasuke stared at where his brother had been only seconds before. He looked around; it was a place he hardly recognized, a battlefield full of destroyed earth and rock. Itachi was lying in front of him, eyes open and unseeing, drying blood trails coming from his mouth._

" _I…killed them, to protect you." The dying man had whispered. Itachi's lips kept moving, telling him everything but he couldn't hear him this time, already knew what he was saying._

" _I know why you did it, Itachi. I know why you died fighting me." Sasuke dropped to his knees, tears clouding his vision as he sobbed. "Please, onii-san, don't leave me!" Someone was grabbing his arm, pulling his weakened body away from his brother and he jerked himself back. He wouldn't leave his brother's body like this, now that he knew what had really happened. The person grabbed him again forcefully, dragging him from Itachi's prone form. He fought back in his weakened state, felt the pain of his body protesting._

" _Sasuke! I won't let you run away again!" Someone screamed at him. They turned him around as his head started swimming, vision going blurry. It was Naruto, his big, beautiful blue eyes glaring down at him in anger and for a second, he wondered what the idiot could be mad at him for. His vision darkened and his own cries faded but the tears remained, warm, strong arms were holding him up by his thighs, their hands clasped under his ass. Sasuke's body was pressed against someone else's, wind brushing against the side of his face that wasn't pressing into the person's shoulder. Sasuke was wearing a jacket; the front of it zipped up to his chin, bathing him in a scent that wasn't his. His hands were tied together in front of him in the scratchy material of a forehead protector, bouncing off the chest of the man who was carrying him._

" _The Uchiha clan had been planning a coup," Sasuke had whispered into the ear closest to his face. "I was too young to know anything about it. My brother chose to help the Hokage, to try to keep peace but Danzo met with him, gave him an ultimatum." The strong arms holding him disappeared, replaced by someone's arm holding his middle._

" _What was it?" Naruto asked. His voice was barely above a whisper right behind him. Sasuke had jerked in surprise, his wrists pulling at the chakra cuffs as he tried to move away. His legs hit the sleeping bag as he reached up with both his hands to find the opening as the arm around him tightened. "Relax, Sasuke. I just want to know what the ultimatum was; the one Danzo gave your brother?" He stilled, his fingers clenched around the edge of the sleeping bag. Sasuke felt the freezing cold temperatures of outside and remembered how the blonde had told the anbu team to fuck off after placing the chakra cuffs on him, Naruto had then pulled him from the campfire and shoved him into his sleeping bag. Naruto shifted behind him, pressing their lower legs together, pushing his face into the Uchiha's hair. Sasuke could feel the blonde's forearm moving upwards, warm fingers grazing over one of his arms to pull down on the connecting chain of the chakra cuffs._

" _It was the entire clan," Sasuke remembered whispering. "The entire clan or me." To his surprise, the blonde moved away, no longer in a sleeping bag but on their bed in their home. Sasuke had his arms wrapped around his almost exaggeratedly large middle as he lifted his head to watch the blonde stand. He didn't remember this memory, didn't think he was this far along for his stomach to stick out so prominently and could have sworn that his blonde was still in Suna. Sasuke pulled himself up to lean against the headboard and watched with a small smile anyway. Naruto didn't turn to him as he walked around the bed to the door and Sasuke dropped his smile uncertainly. It wasn't even something the blonde did or the way he walked but Sasuke could tell something was wrong._

" _Naruto?" He called out softly. Naruto stopped in the doorway with his back still turned and the uncertainty Sasuke was feeling morphed into outright doubt. "Naruto?" He tried again. This time, the blonde looked over his shoulder; his eyes were dead as he stared at Sasuke's face. Icy blue eyes glanced down to his heavily pregnant stomach and to his shock and horror, Naruto scowled before turning his back and walking away._

Sasuke jolted awake instantly, opening his eyes and staring at the empty space of the bed. He could feel the sweat on his forehead and back and sighed, pulling Naruto's pillow from between his legs. It was a dream; he tried to convince himself. That's all it was, a bad dream.

Rolling over, Sasuke dangled his feet off the bed and pushed himself up into a sitting position before standing. The floor was cold and he rushed into the bathroom, turning on the light to see himself in the mirror. He stepped onto the plush rug in front of the sink and stared at his reflection. His stomach was protruding but not as much as it had been in his dream, nowhere near as big. His nipples were still dark but the more important thing was the natural cleanser Sakura had given him had worked and his acne had cleared. Sasuke turned to his side and looked at himself critically, tracing the veiny lines with the tips of his fingers. He was obviously pregnant, stomach sticking out from the last pair of Naruto's boxers that were still intact. That would have to change; they were starting to feel a bit tight.

Naruto's scowling face flashed before his eyes and Sasuke's eyes darted down to his stomach, frowning. It was just a dream, he reminded himself, Naruto wanted the baby, wanted him. The idiot had promised to love him even when he was huge, would never make a face like that at him, like he was disgusted with him. Shaking his head, Sasuke turned and left the bathroom, turning off the light as he went. It took him a moment to find one of Naruto's jackets from within the depths of the closet, under all of his new clothes and his older clothes that didn't fit comfortably anymore. He held the orange cloth close to his face, inhaling the smell of his lover before pulling it over his shoulders and returning to his empty bed.

It was still warm when he climbed back in, lying on his side facing the bathroom. He stared at the shadowed doorway of the bathroom for a few minutes, unable to get back to sleep. His mind kept flashing back to his dream and he wondered, would the blonde really find his body appealing when he was this big, bigger even? Sasuke's eyes darted to the bedside table, the shadowed picture of him and Itachi together, when they were still children and innocent.

He reached out and picked up the picture frame from the stand, bringing it closer to see the outlines of the photograph, of his big brother smiling innocently up at the camera. Sasuke let his eyes drift over to his own toddler face, his hands holding tightly onto Itachi's bigger ones with a bright smile. It had to have been his mother behind the camera. Sasuke couldn't remember his father ever wanting to take a picture of him or his brother and he couldn't recall a single memory where he had been allowed to smile in his father's presence.

Sasuke stared at the picture for a few minutes, wondering what he and Itachi had been doing when their mother had decided to take the picture, maybe his older brother had been trying to teach him how to walk, he looked young enough. With a sigh, Sasuke set the picture frame back on the table and readjusted himself into a more comfortable position. When he finally gave up a few minutes later, Sasuke rolled onto his other side, facing the blonde's side of the bed and grabbed the discarded pillow to stick it back between his curled legs. "Can't believe this actually feels comfortable." Sasuke muttered to himself. He lifted his head to readjust his pillow, pulled Naruto's jacket closer and sighed, brushing fingers over his stomach in soft, repetitive motions until he fell asleep.

* * *

**September twenty fourth, still the twentieth week,**

"That's about twelve pounds of weight gain," Sakura did the mental calculations as she played with the scale. "And that's right on track." Sasuke stepped off of the scale, scowling at his friend as she scribbled his weight down. "Congratulations, you're technically halfway through your pregnancy." The Uchiha glared at his old teammate but the pink haired woman just kept smiling. They were in his bathroom, using a scale that Sakura had brought over.

"Hn. What groceries did you get?" He reached for his black t-shirt on the bathroom counter, pulling it on quickly. It took a great amount of effort not to look in the mirror until he had covered his prominent stomach. The look Naruto in his dream had given him was still sharp and clear in his mind and he didn't want to think about it anymore.

"Steak, some vegetables, raisins." Sakura told him without bothering to fight with him over a week of pregnancy. "Spinach like you asked. There's some chicken too but I put that in the freezer so it'll last longer."

"How much of my money are you spending on meat?" The Uchiha growled absentmindedly. He made a motion with his hand to get her to walk out of the bathroom and when she was out he dropped Naruto's boxers so he could put on some underwear and his favorite pair of pants.

"Don't worry, I got the meat on sale and you need the iron. If you want to make a big deal about it you can give me my rent money to use next time." Sakura called out from his bedroom. He knew he left Naruto's jacket on the bed that morning and was grateful she had decided not to comment on it. Denying that he missed the blonde would be impossible for him, not after three long weeks of this ongoing separation. Sasuke huffed at her as he pulled his pants on but when he moved to zip them he stopped and looked down. He tried to pull the clasp and button together but they didn't even touch, his growing stomach making it impossible. Sakura poked her head in and watched him in confusion when he tugged his pants down again, she couldn't help but giggle.

"Shut up, Sakura." The Uchiha told her. He kneeled down and leaned over awkwardly to pick up his pants, a hand on his protruding stomach. Sasuke didn't bother having the pinkette look away again; she had seen him in his underwear before as he stalked towards his closet.

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this? You're not as skinny as you used to be before your pregnancy and none of your old clothes are going to fit you. That's why we went and got you the maternity clothes." Sakura watched him, he could feel her eyes on him but that didn't stop him from dropping his pants at the floor of his closet and picked another pair to wear.

"These were my favorite." The Uchiha kicked at them with a scowl.

"And they will be your favorite after you give birth and start training again, you'll lose all the weight you're gaining." Sakura told him. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants. They were comfortable and more than loose, he pulled on the drawstring until it wouldn't fall off his hips.

"Hn." He responded quietly. Sasuke glared at the pants on the floor and then turned away, lips pursed. Sakura set her hands on her hips, staring at the aforementioned pants on the floor.

"Do your exercises?" Sakura changed the subject abruptly. He looked over to her as he walked out of the bedroom; she was watching him with an open expression that was only slightly forced looking.

"Not today." Sasuke sighed quietly. He could hear his old teammate following him down the hallway. "Didn't have time after checking the different floor plans in the apartment complexes in the north block."

"Sasuke, they are meant to help since you can't do your normal physical training." The pinkette berated him. "And your body is much more important than how many rooms or bathrooms are in apartments." Sasuke rolled his eyes and kept walking, right into the kitchen. "I know you're getting ready to open up the compound for people to live in but you've got all the time in the world to do that. You can even make Naruto do it when he comes back with his clones."

"Wanted to get it done, I have nothing else better to do since the Hokage reassigned the records room to someone else. I'm restricted to the compound again until she can get the elders to back off." Sasuke retorted. "Besides, I slept in instead." He turned around to see the shocked expression on his friend's face, her mouth hanging open.

"You, slept in?" Sakura asked in disbelief. Sasuke leaned against the counter and gave her an annoyed stare.

"Is that so hard to believe?" He asked her. Sakura stared back at him for a moment and the Uchiha smirked, realizing his friend would think he was seriously angry if he didn't.

"Before you were pregnant? I would have known you were lying." Sakura replied with a surprised smile. "Iruka should be back soon, I can cook dinner if you want to do your exercises." Sasuke raised his hand from the counter and shook his head.

"I said I would do it." He started to move around the kitchen, grabbing things he would need to cook with, debating about how he should prepare it.

"You puked yesterday when you smelled the food cooking." She peered inside the fridge, grabbing what Sasuke would need. "What if that happens again?"

"I'll be fine." The Uchiha muttered. His morning sickness had abated but now it seemed he only got nauseous whenever he got anywhere near cooking meat.

"Let me help at least, since I am here." Sakura responded coolly. Sasuke glared at her but the pink haired woman smiled back at him as she set the food out on the counter.

* * *

The Uchiha knew. If it had been the idiot sonographer or Sai, he didn't know and didn't care. What mattered was that the pregnant Uchiha brat hadn't been out of the compound since that day and that had stopped him from being able to complete his mission. Baku had been camped out on the rooftop across from the compound again for an entire week. There hadn't been an opening to take, not a single chance to slip inside the compound while the barrier was down without being seen. He hadn't left, his post this time, the refilled bottles scattered next to him on the rooftop along with empty wrappers. His clothes reeked, having sweat in the heat of the middle of the day and dried in the cooler nights.

The physical discomfort he had been through the past few weeks only fueled his desire to end this and so he had waited for someone to slip. Sakura Haruno was always on guard and Baku had watched her glare at him more than once as she was leaving. Iruka Umino was far more relaxed and therefore, an easier target for manipulation. When he realized the two weren't going to give him a chance to slip into the compound, Baku realized he was going to have to create an opening himself. The Haruno girl was too aware of him to fall for any of his tricks but the academy sensei was a different story entirely. Baku waited for Sakura to return from her job at the hospital before moving his plan into action. He stood up for the first time that day and jumped over a few rooftops, picking an empty alleyway to drop down into quietly.

Picking a part of the building that wouldn't suffer too much damage from an explosive tag, Baku pulled one out of his pouch and stuck it on the side of a building before jumping back up on the rooftop. An attached wire, painted black, came with him so when he pulled it the tag would explode. Returning to his well lived in nest; Baku settled back down and waited for his prey to appear, ninja wire in hand. Umino-sensei appeared about ten minutes later, whistling while he walked towards the locked down compound. He had to wait for exactly the right moment, too soon and he would miss his chance and too late the teacher might remember to put the barrier back up before going to see what the commotion was. Baku watched the brown haired male set his hand on the seal of the barrier to unlock it and started to push the gate open.

That was his moment. Baku pulled on the ninja wire, triggering a flame to set the tag off and seconds later it went off. An explosion burst from the alleyway, blowing dust out into the street for an added effect. Baku watched Iruka's head jerk at he sound of the explosion, the man's jaw probably dropping as the few people on the road started to scream and panic. Just as he predicted, Umino ran towards the rising smoke cloud to help in any way he could, leaving the gate to the compound unguarded. He waited until the teacher was already in the dust cloud before jumping down to the street, keeping a wary eye out for anyone who was looking in his direction. All eyes were directed towards the shop that had lost a small part of their wall and the women who were complaining about inhaling dust.

Baku smirked as he walked up to the gates of the compound and slipped right in, mindful of what was on the other side of the gates. He didn't have to worry; the street in front of him was empty, devoid of any life. For a second, Baku was at a loss of what to do and looked around. The plan had changed, he had accomplished getting past the barrier, now he had to find the Uchiha brat so he could kill him. He moved to the nearest building and jumped atop it and he would wait for the teacher to come lead him to his target.

* * *

"Not all of us need to go to the Hokage for debrief." Kakashi called out as they entered Konoha territory. The relief washed over the blonde, they were almost home after weeks of being in Suna. They were all tired, exhausted and ready to collapse but they were finally going to be done with this mission.

"Really?" Apricot blurted out, the hopefulness in her voice apparent. Naruto glanced over to the white haired man with a smile in the orange light of the lowering sun.

"Don't think you're getting out of meeting with her." Kakashi answered disinterestedly. Yamato scoffed under his breath and Naruto glanced back at him.

"Does that mean you and Naruto get to go home early while I deal with Apricot again?" Yamato asked sarcastically. Kakashi dropped back, letting Naruto take the lead.

"No, you'll go with Naruto to the compound while I'll take Apricot to the Hokage." Kakashi answered. This time it was Naruto who tripped, slipping on the bark of a tree limb. He scrambled back up as the other three of his team jumped ahead of him.

"What?" The blonde heard Apricot ask. Naruto pushed himself harder off of the branch to catch up with them and looked to Kakashi in confusion.

"I'm the leader of the team and she's the reason why we went to Suna. We don't need you two to be there." Kakashi answered straight-faced. "Besides, it's your turn to babysit Naruto and the whining about his gut feeling." Naruto scoffed this time, rolling his eyes. Apricot looked over to him with a grin and the blonde frowned at her before sticking his tongue out.

"Think you can recreate Naruto's brilliant explanation?" Yamato asked sarcastically. Naruto could see the tired smile of relief on the brunet's face and sighed under his breath. Apricot tried to hide her laugh by coughing but it hardly worked and she nearly tripped again, not watching where she was going.

"Pretty sure I can improve on it." Kakashi spoke up over the redhead's yelp. Kyoko quickly caught up with them again, panting from the exertion and Yamato jerked his neck to the side to crack it.

"Hey! It wasn't that bad." Naruto cried out. "I drew a picture and everything!" Yamato looked over to Kakashi who glanced back, a knowing look in his visible eye. The blonde bit back a response, glaring at the two older men, listening as Apricot's breathing grew labored in her attempt to keep up with them.

"Can we take another break? We've, been going, like this, for hours." Apricot complained breathlessly. Yamato gave her a hard glare before jumping ahead of the other three of his team.

"Why?" The brown haired man called back. "We're already home." Naruto grinned as the front gate came into view behind the giant trees. When the tree line ended, they jumped down to the ground and waited for the ninja on guard duty to notice them and open the door. Apricot immediately collapsed onto her knees, reaching behind her to take her shoes off and leaning forward until she dropped down to the ground face first. Naruto rolled his eyes, readjusted his pack to roll his shoulders back and stretch. Kakashi lifted one of his legs for half a second before dropping it and lifting up his other leg. It took a few minutes before the giant gate opened and they walked through, Apricot struggling to get to her feet to follow them.

"Naruto!" The blonde turned his head at the sound of his name. Kiba stepped out from behind the guardhouse and waved to the group, Akamaru lifting his head from the ground next to the guardhouse in interest. "You're finally back." Naruto smiled brightly and met with the dog lover halfway to hug him. Akamaru bounded over to them and circled his owner and the blonde, sniffing before jumping up on them.

"It's good to be back, Kiba, Akamaru." The blonde smiled and pulled away from the hug to look over to his team as the overgrown dog licked his face.

"We're going." Kakashi told them. He grabbed Kyoko by the arm and tugged her away from Yamato. Naruto waved to them and turned back to Kiba who was watching the redhead girl with curious interest.

"So that's her? The girl with Kyuubi's chakra?" The dog lover asked. He looked back to the blonde and grinned as Yamato stepped up to the two. Naruto shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets while diverting his eyes as Akamaru tilted his head in bewilderment.

"Yes, she is." The older man answered shortly. Kiba nodded his head in understanding but when he opened his mouth to ask another question, the older brunet male shook his head. Naruto raised his hand to rub the back of his neck and grinned apologetically as the dog lover shrugged his shoulders.

"What's been going on while I've been in Suna?" Naruto asked with a grin. Kiba's eyes immediately widened, the blonde leaned in and lowered his voice. "Any juicy gossip you want to share?"

"Just as a heads up," The dog lover started. He glanced back to the guardhouse where the other chuunin on duty was, leaning back in his chair with his head pressed against the back of the guardhouse, asleep. "There have been some crazy rumors going around about Sakura and Sasuke." Kiba gave the blonde a sympathetic look and Naruto's stomach dropped.

"Like what?" Naruto asked with a confused frown. Kiba glanced over to Yamato who had raised his eyebrows in disbelief. Naruto elbowed the older man with a pointed look. "What rumors?" The dog lover looked away in embarrassment before daring to meet the blonde's eyes.

"There's a rumor out there that Sakura's pregnant, she and Sasuke went to a maternity shop but Ino told me when she asked Sakura about it, she said that Sasuke's the one that's pregnant." Kiba shook his head and chuckled nervously. "Weird, right?" The dog lover watched the blonde's eyes widen and face redden in surprise.

"Um, actually." The blonde raised his hand to scratch the back of his head nervously. "It's complicated." Kiba frowned and took a step back as he stared at Naruto hard for a few seconds.

"Wait, you mean Sakura wasn't just messing with her?" Kiba blinked rapidly as the blonde grinned sheepishly. "He was pregnant when I went with you guys into the Uchiha compound!" The dog lover pointed to Naruto accusingly and Akamaru barked, his giant white tail wagging. A sound came from the guardhouse and they all turned their heads to see the other chuunin awake and sitting up, looking at them in sleepy confusion. "It wasn't because Sakura was working in the maternity ward and the smell wore off on him." Kiba whispered angrily. Yamato shifted his position, standing in between the chuunin in the guardhouse and Naruto and when both of the younger men looked to him the older man pointed to his lips, mouthing 'lip reader'.

"No, it wasn't." The blonde relented softly when he looked back to his friend. "We couldn't tell you, Sakura didn't know about it at the time either." Kiba frowned at the blonde, raising his hand to scratch behind Akamaru's ear. "Did Sakura really tell Ino that Sasuke was pregnant?" Naruto asked desperately. Ino was a gossip and Sakura knew that as much as everyone else in the village, why would Sakura tell her?

"You seriously knocked up Sasuke?" Kiba asked while nodding. The dog lover looked back to Naruto curiously, his anger almost completely gone. Naruto opened his mouth to respond and then not knowing what to say closed it again, staring at Kiba nervously. "Man, didn't think you'd have the balls to take the stick out of his ass." Kiba broke out into a devilish grin as the blonde's jaw dropped again.

Yamato's shoulders started shaking as he silently laughed at the conversation and the blonde frowned at him before pushing him away with a scowl. "Shut it, Yamato." Naruto glared at the older man before turning his attention back to his still smirking friend. "That's not funny." Kiba scoffed at him.

"It was until you got the asshole pregnant." The younger brunet rolled his eyes and set his hand on Akamaru's head with an exaggerated sigh.

"Hey!" Naruto snapped. "Only I get to call him asshole." He pointed his thumb at himself and then grinned when Kiba snorted.

"Right." Kiba rolled his eyes and leaned completely against Akamaru who didn't even budge. "Do you miss the sex?" Yamato shifted, looking between both Kiba and Naruto, bewildered.

"Who says we stopped having sex?" Naruto responded quickly. The dog lover's eyebrows shot up and Naruto found himself smiling smugly.

"Right, what's it like to have sex with a pregnant man?" Kiba shot back. Naruto eyed his friend skeptically, wondering if he really wanted to know what it was like or if he was just fishing for gossip.

"Are you two done?" Yamato interrupted. "I'd like to go home." Naruto glanced over to the older brunet, seeing the bags under his eyes and deadpanned expression.

"Yeah, I'll catch up with you later. Gonna go get some?" Kiba winked at the blonde with a grin. Naruto shrugged his shoulders and stepped back to let Yamato walk past him. The older male shook his head as he started down the street. Naruto started after him, walking backwards to say goodbye to his friend. "In the shower?" Kiba called out.

"You know it." The blonde winked back. Akamaru barked when the on duty chuunin turned around and headed back to the guardhouse. Naruto sighed and pivoted so that he wasn't walking backwards anymore and then started to jog to catch up with Yamato.

"Do you think she accidentally let it slip?" Yamato asked softly under his breath when the blonde caught up to him. He watched the older brunet shift his pack on his back and nod to a civilian they passed.

"No, not accidentally." Naruto murmured back. "What I don't understand is why Sasuke would let her tell Ino. The whole village will know about his pregnancy before the end of the month." It was growing dark, the sun was setting and both shops and houses were turning on their lights. Very few villagers were out on the streets; a lull in the day when most people went home but more than a few gave Naruto careful looks and blatant stares. "If they don't already."

"Maybe something happened while we were gone?" The older man looked to his younger teammate and shrugged his shoulders. "That could be your gut feeling and why they decided to tell the village gossip about the pregnancy." Naruto frowned as he watched the shadows fall across the man's face, giving the bags under his eyes a gaunt look.

"I really hope not." The blonde glanced over his shoulder when he felt someone staring at him, it turned out to be a man who shifted his gaze awkwardly when Naruto looked to him. A sound in the distance caught Naruto's attention and he jerked his head in the direction of it. "Did you hear that?" Yamato watched him in confusion and then tilted his head when they heard it again.

"That sounded like someone accidentally set off a smoke bomb." Yamato answered. The blonde picked up his pace, Yamato following closely behind. "Naruto?" Anxiety bubbled up in his chest before spreading down to his gut and the blonde didn't bother vocalizing an answer as he started to jog. He rounded the corner onto the familiar street that led to the compound and skidded to an abrupt stop. Yamato nearly ran into him when he rounded the corner and huffed loudly at the blonde as he stepped around him.

"The barrier's down," Naruto whispered in shock. The uneasiness in his stomach curdled and he clenched his fists as anger replaced the anxiety. Out of the blonde's peripheral vision he could see Yamato look to him and then down the street at the entrance to the Uchiha compound. "And the gate is open." In the dying light, Naruto could see one of the wooden gate doors was ajar and wisps of black smoke were spilling out onto the street, just inches off the ground. "The explosions came from inside the compound!" Naruto started to move forward again, adrenaline started to flood his system, his long strides morphing into a dead run for the gates.

* * *

He'd been doing fine with the smell of cooking vegetables until Sakura had started to cook the steak. As soon as the smell hit his nose, his stomach dropped. The dry heaving came on fast and Sasuke raised his hand to his mouth as he retched. When bile started to rise in his throat, the Uchiha ran from the kitchen, headed for the nearest bathroom. "Told you it would happen again!" Sakura yelled after him. Sasuke didn't have a response, his body heaving up the contents of his stomach into the toilet of the hallway bathroom. The nausea remained even after he stopped gagging and he went through his post-vomit ritual of flushing the toilet and washing his mouth to get rid of the taste of bile.

"Go take a walk outside, away from the smell." She ordered when he entered the kitchen again. "I can handle the rest of dinner." The dark haired male wanted to object but when his stomach flipped queasily, he reconsidered.

"Fine." Sasuke sullenly replied. He left the kitchen quickly, pulling on his shoes in the entrance way and stepping outside with a long inhale of fresh, cool air. It wasn't cold enough for a jacket yet but summer was slowly coming to an end. The days were slowly growing shorter, the sun already on the far edge of the sky, ready to set. He tried to shove his hands into his pockets but found that the pair of sweats he had put on didn't have any. Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and stepped off the front porch, thinking he'd go to the front gate and walk back with Iruka and see how living with one of his old students was working out. See if he could make the dark skinned man blush. His steps sounded too loud in the silence and he walked faster. Three weeks of spending most of his time alone in the compound still made him weary. Sasuke had tried to keep busy during the day with doing work around the compound, reading baby books and whatever he could to keep himself from being idle. At night it was harder, after the nightly dinners with Iruka and Sakura, he still went to bed alone.

It was scary, realizing that he only felt comfortable in the empty compound when Naruto was with him. Sasuke lowered his hand to his stomach, thinking about how it wouldn't just be him and Naruto anymore. They would have their son or daughter and the compound would be open for people to move into, shops to open. What they needed now was for the elders to leave him and Naruto alone. He turned onto the street that led to the gate of the compound and glanced at each house as he walked past them. Eventually, people would move into all of these houses and it wouldn't be quite as eerie. Sasuke turned his attention to the gate and stopped walking, seeing that the gate was open. A chill ran down his spine and he raised his eyes to scan the rooftops for any sign of the man that followed him. It didn't feel as if someone was watching him and he carefully started moving forward again, training his eyes on the rooftop.

"Oh, Sasuke!" Iruka's voice surprised the dark haired male and he jerked his head to the front gate again, now only a few yards away. The dark haired man stepped past the gate while dusting his jacket off of soot and rubble. "Someone set off an explosive tag down the street." Sasuke felt another cold shiver travel down his spine. "I'd blame Naruto for it but he's still in Suna, luckily no one was hurt."

"Iruka, did you leave the gate open?" Sasuke asked. Goosebumps rose on the Uchiha's arms as he felt someone's unwanted gaze settled on him.

"I," The teacher frowned and paused in setting his hand against the seal, glancing behind his shoulder before looking back to the Uchiha. "For three minutes, maybe f-" Iruka stopped when a kunai landed into the ground between them, right in front of the teacher with an explosive tag attached to it. For half a second, both men froze before moving into action. The brunet man started to step to the side, hands on the gate door and Sasuke backed up as the end of the tag burst into flame. Sasuke knew he was out of the blast range but Iruka was stuck between the tag and the compound wall.

"Iruka!" Sasuke called out right before the tag exploded. The sound was almost deafening as the displaced air rushed past the Uchiha as he raised his arm to protect his face from the small bits of flying debris. A cloud of smoke and dust rose, blocking Iruka from Sasuke's view, probably blown back into the wall by the blast. He had to move quickly, the spy had gotten into the compound and was attacking them from above on one of the rooftops. Rushing into the smoke, Sasuke heard the whizzing of another kunai where he had been seconds before. Another blast of an explosive tag behind him proved him right, the flash of heat and gust of air hit his back as he moved closer to where the first kunai had landed. Iruka had most likely been caught in the first blast and could be hurt or unconscious and that made Sasuke nervous. On top of that, he couldn't see anything past three feet in front of him, couldn't move with any agility being five months pregnant and there was someone who wanted to kill him.

"Iruka!" The Uchiha hissed as loudly as he dared. He moved in the direction where he had last seen the teacher and lowered his arm to his stomach protectively. When the attacker would come after him in this cloud, he'd go for his unborn baby. The smoke cloud was starting to clear and Sasuke was running out of time, he turned his attention to the ground, listening to any sounds that could forewarn another attack. The first kunai that had been thrown was still planted in the ground and he pulled it out by the handle, feeling the still hot metal burn against his palm. Sasuke saw something reflecting light out of his peripheral vision and raised his weapon, deflecting the other kunai automatically as he looked for another tag. There wasn't one attached to the pommel of the kunai and the Uchiha turned his body to make himself a smaller target. He had to wonder why his attacker would come with only three explosive tags prepared, one for the distraction and two for the kunai he had already thrown.

Another kunai pierced through the fading smoke cloud, missing him completely and landing a few feet next to him. His attacker was just shooting into the cloud, not daring to come closer until the smoke had cleared. There wasn't a tag tied to the pommel and Sasuke made the decision to reach for it. He wasn't used to his body's new center of gravity and stumbled onto his knees as he tried to bend over. Several shuriken sliced through the smoke as he reached for the discarded kunai and only two of them came close to hitting him. Whoever his attacker was, they were out of practice. Sasuke picked up the second kunai and got to his feet again, the smoke finally clearing enough for him to see the buildings he was facing. The Uchiha could see his attacker on the roof, face covered by an anbu mask and body hidden under a cloak. He deflected a kunai with ease that was aimed at his head and watched his attacker jump from the roof to the street.

"Why haven't you used any ninjutsu?" Sasuke growled at him. He raised both of the kunai, one near his stomach and the other at chest level. The attacker pulled another kunai out of his cloak, no explosive tag that the Uchiha could see. His attacker had decided to use the explosive tags instead of a jutsu that would have killed him for a reason. It had to be something personal to warrant an up close kill.

"When Itachi killed your clan, he didn't use ninjutsu." His attacker told him. The voice was deep and gruff, obviously a male and older than he would have thought. What the man said struck a nerve with Sasuke as his mind raced, the attacker was trying to kill him the way his brother had killed his clan which more than likely meant he had been sent by the elders.

"He had his kekkei genkai." Sasuke called out, his tone even. He was trying to get under his attackers skin, make him angry enough to make a mistake. Sasuke watched the man throw the kunai and ricocheted it off his own it with ease but he knew it would only be a few more seconds before the man charged him. His automatic reaction was to activate his Sharingan but that was the problem. It was dangerous for the baby if he used that much of chakra this far in his pregnancy but if he didn't use it, he'd be dead anyway.

"I don't need a bloodline limit to kill you." The older man retorted. Sasuke's attacker pulled a tantō sword out from under his cloak; the double-edged short blade was nine inches of steel and glinted in the dying light. The pregnant male repositioned his arm over his stomach, flexing the grip on his kunai when he realized which part of his body the man was going to target. His kunai was a poor defense against a weapon designed for stabbing and as his attacker darted towards him, he knew he had to make a decision. Sasuke watched the man lowering his blade, quickly taking aim for his unborn baby and moved in response. He barely moved into his position before the man was in front of him, short sword poised for his abdomen. The Uchiha thrust his forearm between the tip of the weapon and his body as he swung his other arm at his attacker's head to break the painted porcelain mask. As his attackers blade pierced the skin of his forearm, he activated his sharingan, ready to attack and watched the blade of his kunai miss its target.

To Sasuke's surprise, the tantō blade sliced down his arm, from the middle of his forearm to his wrist instead of digging down into the bone. The Uchiha watched as his attacker became a blur of black and orange as two bodies tumbled away from him and to the ground. Immediately deactivating his bloodline limit, Sasuke dropped one of his kunai to put pressure on his wound and stem the bleeding. He made sure the two rolling figures were still moving away from him before he glanced down to check the severity of his wound. It was long but shallow and artificial and didn't feel as if an artery had been opened.

There was a sound by the gate and Sasuke turned his head, Yamato was pulling Iruka up, blood running down the dark skinned male's dazed face. Sasuke could see the brunet checking Iruka as he pulled off the teacher's forehead protector to examine the bleeding wound. Yamato was here, the Uchiha realized as he looked at the concerned male. Naruto's team was back from Suna. When the Uchiha looked back to the two shadows forms, one of the figures had thrown the other farther down the street and was turning to look at him. Sasuke's gaze met Naruto's bright blue eyes, the uncontrolled rage impossible to miss as the blonde looked him over. The masked attacker finally seemed to recover enough for another assault, rushing at his new opponent's back with the tantō blade still in his hand. The surprised relief that had spread through his chest disappeared and he stepped forward, opening his mouth to warn the stupid idiot.

His worry didn't seem to be necessary as the blonde turned around and slammed his fist into the porcelain mask, smashing it into pieces. The cloaked man crashed onto the ground again and Naruto went after him, growling loud enough for the Uchiha to hear. Sasuke watched the blonde lean down, reaching out to grab the attacker's shirt and instead caught the man's wrist instead. The Uchiha looked back to the two older men as he stalked towards the blonde, Yamato had pulled off his pack as he held the teacher up against the compound wall and was trying to stop the bleeding.

"Eaaugh!" Sasuke heard the attacker scream as he looked back to watch Naruto twist the man's arm into an unnatural position. The short sword fell from the attacker's grasp and the cloaked man struggled as the blonde pulled him up by his now broken arm.

"Naruto." Sasuke called out. The blonde didn't seem to hear him as he yanked the attacker to the nearest building, shoving him against the wall with more force than Sasuke thought necessary. Sasuke moved closer to the two men but when Naruto pulled his fist back the dark haired male darted forward as fast as his body would allow. "Naruto!" He shouted. The blonde's fist twitched instead of hitting the man and his eyes remained trained on the stranger's face. Sasuke finally got close enough to see his attacker's face and stopped short. The man was old, sixty or seventy and it showed in the wrinkled and sagging skin of his face. Under his cloak was an aged anbu uniform that looked old and worn, it also seemed the barely conscious man's nose had broken and blood was dripping down his face.

"He hurt you." Naruto snarled. Sasuke saw the blonde's hand twitch again and reached out, catching the tan fist before he could hit the older man. Naruto jerked his head toward the Uchiha, scowling at him. "He tried to kill you and our baby and he's still breathing." Sasuke glared at his blonde and pulled his hand down forcefully.

"I am fine." Sasuke told him in a harsh tone. Naruto looked back to the bloodied man in his grasp, glaring at him. "Sakura's here, she can take care of Iruka and heal my wound in a matter of seconds. Dobe, you need to take him to the Hokage." The Uchiha emphasized Naruto's nickname, trying to get the blonde to calm down.

"Why should I?" The blonde growled. Sasuke watched as the attacker tried to hit Naruto with his good arm but his reach was short. Naruto tugged the man by his cloak closer before slamming him back against the building. The older man grunted in pain before coughing, blood spattering over his arm and chest and Sasuke couldn't be sure if the man's ribs were fractured or broken.

"Because she didn't send him to watch me." Sasuke retorted sharply. "The elders did." Naruto looked back to him quickly with a frown and Sasuke dropped his hand down to his wounded arm again to check it again. The blood flow had slowed considerably, his arm now a sticky mess and he looked over his shoulder to Yamato and Iruka again. The brunet had Iruka's arm over his shoulder and his own hand on the disoriented man's waist, carrying the teacher away from the gates of the compound.

"Is Sakura here?" Yamato called out. The unmasked man coughed, spraying Naruto with blood again while the Uchiha nodded. Naruto's angry expression cracked and he looked behind him to see the two brunets limping away.

"At the house." Sasuke told him as they passed. He turned back to Naruto, raising his wounded hand to grab the blonde's arm. "Take him to the Hokage, alive." The Uchiha commanded. Naruto glanced back to Sasuke, looking more troubled than angry now.

"Fine." The blonde relented. He reached up to older man's head and slammed it into the wall of the building, knocking the attacker unconscious and let the body drop on the ground. Sasuke blinked in surprise when the blonde turned and hugged him tightly, his hands wrapping around his lower back and neck. "I was so worried, I thought that I was too late, that he'd killed you." Naruto whispered into his ear. His mouth dropped in surprise as his face started to heat up in embarrassment and Naruto's scowling face from his dream flashed in his mind.

"He obviously didn't, Usuratonkachi." The Uchiha muttered. He reached up to the blonde's chest and pushed him away, avoiding Naruto's gaze as he tried to get rid of the image. "Go already." Naruto reached down and picked the unconscious man up and tossed him over his shoulder. Sasuke nodded in the blonde's direction as he stepped back, he waited until Naruto was walking towards the compound gates before walking as quickly as he could to catch up with Yamato and Iruka.

"Sakura!" The Uchiha called out as he caught up with the two older males and immediately moved to help carry Iruka, lifting the man's arm over his shoulder to help carry the weight. Yamato looked over to him gratefully as they slowly walked up the porch steps and they both heard Iruka groan as his head rolled onto Yamato's shoulder.

"Kakashi is going to kill me for this." Yamato murmured as he tilted his head back to watch the teacher blink at him slowly. Sasuke didn't get a chance to respond as Sakura burst through the front door, eyes widening as she took in their appearance.

"What happened?" The pink haired ninja cried out. She held the door open as Yamato and Sasuke maneuvered the teacher inside. "Set Iruka on the couch. Let me grab my med kit." Sakura commanded as she followed them in and ran past the two of them into the kitchen.

"The elder's spy set up a distraction outside the compound and snuck in. Iruka got caught in the blast of an explosive tag." Sasuke started as they dragged the teacher over to the couch.

"He has a head wound but I think his jacket protected him from most of the blast." Yamato finished as they set Iruka down on the couch, Sasuke shifted uncomfortably as he tried to lean without falling over. Iruka groaned softly as Yamato maneuvered him to lie down on the couch, propping a pillow up under his head.

"Okay Yamato, take his jacket and shirt off while I heal Sasuke's wound." Sakura rushed back into the room with a med kit, she set the kit down on the coffee table and grabbed the Uchiha's wrist to examine his wound. Sasuke winced as pain radiated from his arm, he hadn't felt it before with the adrenaline in his veins but now it really hurt. "It's not as deep as it looks, how'd you get this?"

"He had a short sword, was trying to stab me but Naruto bulldozed into him, the blade sliced down my arm instead. Naruto is taking the attacker to the Hokage now." Sasuke explained as Sakura's hand started to glow green. The sensation of his skin being pulled together made the muscles in his hand spasm. To distract himself from the pain, the Uchiha looked over to the other two males, Yamato had pulled off Iruka's jacket and was carefully trying to pull off his long-sleeved shirt without jostling the teacher too much.

"Did you know you have fifty percent more blood in your body than you normally would?" Sakura spoke distractedly as she focused on her work. "You're lucky none of your arteries were nicked, do you feel dizzy or have blurred vision?" Sasuke shook his head in response, it was only a flesh wound. "I've got a salve for any scar tissue this might leave." The Uchiha grunted softly as his fingers continued to twitch as she moved her glowing hand down his arm. When the green glow around her hand faded, Sasuke pulled his arm away and jerked his head towards the other men in the room.

"I'll get the salve from you later. Make sure Iruka's okay." Sasuke told her as he turned and headed for the door again. The pink haired woman moved towards the couch and then stopped.

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked. The dark haired male paused in the he stopped in the doorway to look back. Yamato was kneeling by Iruka's head, the teacher's chest bare and staring back at him with a glazed stare.

"After Naruto." The Uchiha frowned as he remembered stopping the blonde from hitting the elder spy. "He hasn't been this angry since the isolation incident." He headed for the door again, lowering a hand to his stomach as he quickly walked out the door.


	26. It Ends

**September twenty fourth, still the twentieth week,**

This job was getting to be far too troublesome. First, Shizune had roped him into trying to keep the Hokage sober and then a few days ago, Tsunade had talked to that weirdo Sai and that led to his situation now. Shikamaru was still unsure what Sai had said to the woman to make her want to have a meeting with the elders but here he was, waiting outside the Hokage's office as Tsunade and the two elders went at each other throats. He wasn't sure what confused him more, the fact that the Hokage had been sober for an entire week or that she was the one that requested the meeting, not the other way around. Shikamaru could make a few guesses as to what the emotionless man had said to her, most of them had to do with Sasuke.

"Troublesome." He grumbled under his breath. The elders were either aware that Sasuke was pregnant or were on the verge of finding out. Tsunade was going to attempt to reason with them, to get them to leave the Uchiha alone. The likelihood of that happening was very small. "They are never going to get a break." Shikamaru sighed as the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. When two figures stepped around the bend, the lazy genius raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Good evening, Shikamaru." Kakashi raised his hand as they got closer and the redheaded girl purposely slowed her steps so she was walking behind the white haired male.

"Kakashi, Apricot. We meet again." Shikamaru pushed himself off the wall and stood to meet the two. Both were wearing their packs, apparently having just gotten back from Suna. "How was the trip?"

"A little longer than planned, is the Hokage busy?" Kakashi asked. Apricot pulled off her pack, dumping it on the floor before lying down on the ground. Shikamaru watched her as Kakashi pulled off his own pack and set it down beside his feet.

"Meeting with the elders, you're going to have to wait for them to finish." The brunet male replied. He returned his attention to Kakashi and nodded to the Hokage's office door.

"Good, I don't think I can move another inch." The redhead moaned in relief. Both Shikamaru and Kakashi leaned against the wall across from the door and the lazy genius looked the older male over. His jacket had sand in it's creases, his visible eye had bags as if he hadn't gotten much sleep the past few days but it was his posture that said everything. Underneath the white haired man's relaxed posture was a slight tension, his gaze purposely directed down the hallway or at Shikamaru instead of the office doors.

"Do you know what the Hokage is discussing with the elders?" Kakashi asked. The question was predictable and they both already knew the possible answers to it.

"I have a pretty good idea." Shikamaru answered. He watched from the corner of his eye as the girl lifted her head from the floor, looking up at them.

"Pretty good idea of what?" Kyoko asked. Raising an eyebrow, the younger male looked to Kakashi expectantly. The white haired male sighed loudly and looked down to the girl without a word. "Nothing that concerns me, right." Apricot muttered with a roll of her eyes. She lowered her head back to the floor and closed her eyes. Kakashi looked back to the lazy genius, a grin underneath his blue turned brown mask.

"You have her trained." Shikamaru let himself sound faintly impressed. Apricot made an indignant noise from the back of her throat and Kakashi's one visible eye blinked.

"Not as well as she could be." Kakashi responded. Shikamaru looked down to the girl as she opened her eyes again.

"I already know how to do sit, stay, shake, and roll over. What more do you want from me?" Kyoko whined. The girl pointed her toes and then cracked them, as she laid her head back down.

"Play dead?" The genius supplied. He watched the girl flex her toes before trying to crack them again and grimaced in disgust.

"That's a useless trick." Apricot retorted hotly.

"We've been trying to teach her how to play ninja but she doesn't seem to be very good at it." Kakashi spoke conversationally. Shikamaru could hear heavy footsteps coming down the hallway and watched as the white haired male tilted his head in that direction.

"I didn't have an academy to go to like you guys did." Apricot grumbled. When the two older males didn't respond she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, the footsteps getting loud enough for her to hear. She tilted her head back and frowned. "Naruto?" The girl called out. Shikamaru was surprised to the younger girl was right as Naruto came into view. He took the blonde's appearance in, his pack missing and a black, human sized mass on his back instead. What surprised the genius the most was probably the blood spattered on the arms of his jacket. "Who are you carrying?" Apricot rolled over onto her stomach and watched the blonde curiously as he came closer. The lazy genius saw the blonde's furrowed brow, his fingers clamped around a protruding arm like a vice. It seemed Naruto was in a foul mood.

"Naruto you can't go in there." Shikamaru didn't raise his voice or even pretend to sound concerned as the blonde headed straight for the doors to the Hokage's office. He watched the blonde kick down the doors and storm in before he finally pushed himself off the wall. "I tried." Shikamaru sighed as he followed the blonde into office, motioning behind him for Kakashi and Apricot to follow.

"What is the meaning of this?" Koharu Utatane cried out. She stood up from her chair next to her male counterpart and glared at Naruto. Homura Mitokado turned his head but didn't get out of his seat or look anything but surprised as the scene unfolded.

"Naruto, welcome back." Tsunade leaned back, frowning as the blonde dumped a rather large mass of old anbu gear and body onto the ground in front of the angry female elder. "Who's your new friend?" Shikamaru moved forward, past the two elders and leaned against the Hokage's desk. He watched Kakashi walk in, followed by Apricot and the two stood on the other side of the still sitting male elder.

"I demand that he be removed at once! This is a private meeting." Utatane was using her commanding voice and it made the lazy genius want to cut his ears off. He felt the elder's stare on him but he ignored her in favor for watching Naruto reach down and pick the elderly man up by the collar showing his face to her.

"You sent him to kill Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto growled. Shikamaru knew better than to say it out loud but that was a good reason to be mad.

"What?" Mitokado finally stood up, looking at the unconscious man the blonde was holding. "We ordered him to watch the Uchiha boy and the girl, not to attack him."

"You found out that Sasuke is pregnant and you sent this guy to kill him and our child. An innocent, unborn baby!" The blonde yelled. He lowered the unconscious man back to the floor and straightened, his fists clenched tightly. Shikamaru could see the shock in Mitokado's quickly paling expression. Oh, that was a surprise. By the clearly angry expression on Utatane's face, it was safe to guess that she had been the mastermind behind that brilliant plan.

"Is Sasuke alright?" Tsunade asked seriously. The blonde inhaled deeply through his nose, trying to contain his anger.

"He's alive but both he and Iruka were injured in the fight." Naruto glanced to Kakashi and when Shikamaru looked over to the white haired man, his single visible eye was trained on the unconscious man on the floor as his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He could almost see the older man's jaw tick underneath his mask.

"Sasuke Uchiha, pregnant?" Mitokado asked in disbelief. The lazy genius looked back to the Hokage to see her staring at the elder hard, trying to figure out if he was faking his shock.

"Wasn't this meeting about stopping any attempts on Sasuke's life from happening?" Shikamaru spoke up. The Hokage diverted her attention to him, inclining her head as she leaned forward, setting her elbows on her desk.

"It was." Tsunade let her gaze shift to the elders. "Specifically from within the village." Shikamaru looked to Koharu Utatane, watching her lips quiver as she tried to think of something to say in her defense. Before she could open her mouth, the Hokage's office door opened again and Shikamaru watched as everyone but Utatane-sama watched Sasuke stepped inside.

"Sasuke." Naruto called out softly. He took a step towards the Uchiha and stopped when the pregnant male gave him a pointed glance. It didn't take being a genius to notice the Uchiha's stomach sticking out from his thin frame or the drying blood on his pale hands. The Uchiha stepped farther into the room towards his lover, his eyes immediately going to the unconscious man on the ground.

"Thank you for joining us, Sasuke." Tsunade stared seriously at the pregnant male. "It looks like you survived well enough. Do you know the condition of Umino-sensei?" Shikamaru watched as the male elder slouched a little in his chair but Utatane stood resolutely. Sasuke moved to stand next to his blonde, their shoulders touching.

"Head wound, conscious but dazed. Sakura is taking care of him." The Uchiha answered with a glance to Kakashi. Shikamaru saw Naruto clench his fists as he looked down at the man that had hurt their old teacher. Then to his surprise, he saw the redheaded girl flinch in his peripheral vision.

"Good, have Sakura report Iruka's condition to me tomorrow. I'll find a substitute teacher for the academy in the meantime." The Hokage waited for Sasuke to nod his head before turning her attention to the elders in front of her. "Oi! Kage!" She called out loudly. As expected, an anbu jumped down from the ceiling and Apricot jumped in surprise when he landed close to her, kneeling. "Take that guy to Shizune, she should be at the hospital and have Migaki keep an eye on him when she's finished. He'll be transferred to the isolation cells when he's physically able."

The anbu quickly stood and bowed before taking two long strides in front of the elders to the unconscious man. With a small grunt the masked male pulled the bulky body over his shoulder and jumped up to the ceiling again. Shikamaru watched as Apricot looked upwards in shock, her mouth hanging open. Tsunade cleared her throat to get the attention of everyone in the room again and the genius watched the Hokage glare at the female elder. "You acted on your own and ordered a retired anbu to not only spy on a member of our village but also to attempt to kill him when you found out that he was planning on starting a family." She stated coldly. Naruto's frame went rigid and Sasuke leaned even closer to the blonde, his fingers twitching in anticipation.

"It was for the good of the village!" Koharu Utatane spat. Shikamaru watched the blonde lurch forward and Sasuke grabbed his wrist, holding him back. A ring of red bled into the blonde's blue eyes and Apricot let out a high-pitched yelp as she backed away. He looked over to her and frowned, watching her widened green eyes bleed red.

"The good of the village my ass!" Naruto yelled at the elder. The lazy genius looked back as Naruto tried to pull his hand out of the Uchiha's grasp but the pregnant male tightened his grip and tugged the blonde backwards. "That's bullshit!" Sasuke reached up with his free hand to the blonde's hair and pulled on it hard. Naruto grunted in pain as he was forced to tilt his head back, his eyes met Sasuke's and he reached behind his head to probably grab the bloodied hand in his hair.

"Calm down, idiot." The Uchiha ordered. Shikamaru watched as the blonde looked up into Sasuke's eyes, his expression contorted into rage and then frustration. After a few seconds, the red ring in the blonde's eyes disappeared and the pregnant male let go of his hair. Naruto grabbed Sasuke by his waist and pulled him close, growling softly under his breath as he glared at the elders.

"Now that we have that outburst out of the way," Tsunade raised an eyebrow knowingly instead of smirking at the Uchiha who crossed his arms over his chest to keep himself from shifting uncomfortably. "We can move on to the fact that as elders, you don't have any authority over anbu. Even retired ones." The Hokage stared Utatane down before she turned her glare to Mitokado.

"I did not know that Baku had been given orders to do anything more than keep tabs on the Uchiha." Shikamaru turned his attention to Mitokado as the man straightened in his chair. He glanced over to his counterpart with a glare before continuing. "I was also unaware that it was possible for a male to get pregnant let alone that he was already with child."

"He's telling the truth." Kakashi spoke up suddenly. Shikamaru watched as the Hokage glanced over to him calmly.

"Huh." Tsunade scoffed. She raised her eyebrow and tapped her finger on her desk. "Never thought I'd see the day you'd turn your backs on one another." Shikamaru watched Utatane purse her lips, refusing to say anything and Mitokado turned his head away from the woman.

"Hokage-sama, you're forgetting why you called this meeting." The lazy genius called out, ignoring the angry looks he got from both elders.

"Thank you, Shikamaru." Tsunade said sarcastically. "The fact of the matter is you had no right to do what you've done. This is now a formal reprimand and your harassment has to stop." Naruto's grip tightened on Sasuke's waist and the Uchiha reached up to pry it off, intertwining their fingers instead. "Next time I hear that you're attempting to meddle in their lives, I'll take the issue straight to the Daimyo."

"There has been no harassment." Utatane forced her voice to remain steady, Shikamaru could tell by the way her lower jaw trembled with rage. The Uchiha, however, didn't seem to feel the need to contain his displeasure any longer.

"Any surveillance on Apricot, Naruto, or I, any attacks done by any member of this village, anbu or not, and keeping me locked away in the compound," Sasuke looked from the Hokage to the elders. "It ends, all of it." The Hokage pointed to the pregnant male as she stared at the elders and raised her eyebrows, silently telling them that that was exactly what she was talking about.

"You have no idea what is best for the village," The female elder started, turning her glare from the Hokage to the Uchiha. "And you have no right to tell us what to do."

"I have every right!" Sasuke snapped. "Apricot's seal continues to weaken and the only thing that can control the Kyuubi is my Sharingan." The Uchiha tried to take a step forward and this time the blonde held him back. Sasuke looked down at their hands before returning his glare at Utatane. "You kill me, you lose your last line of defense against the nine tailed demon."

"Can't argue with that." Tsunade spoke before Utatane could respond. "Well you could try but no matter how you look at it, killing the Uchiha brat is a bad idea. You'd be killing an unborn, innocent, child with him." The Hokage leaned back in her chair again, her smirk proof of her gloating and she glanced around to everyone in her office when the elders remained silent. "Utatane-san, Mitokado-san I've really enjoyed this meeting but I think it is time for you to take your leave." Shikamaru watched as Mitokado stood up and stormed out of the office, Utatane following after a moment of angry hesitation.

"Shikamaru," Tsunade lowered her head into the palm of her hand, squeezing the bridge of her nose between her eyes wearily. "Can I have them executed for treason? Please tell me I can." Well that was an easy question to answer, one that he had answered at least three dozen times before since he took this job.

"They haven't committed treason yet." The lazy genius responded with a heavy sigh. "Troublesome." He turned his head away from the Hokage as he muttered and flicked his gaze to Naruto and Sasuke. For a few seconds, silence reigned in the office, Tsunade focused on trying to will away the headache she was probably feeling.

"How are you holding up, Kakashi?" Tsunade didn't bother raising her head as she asked the question but the white haired man tilted his head to the side, as if pondering the question even though Shikamaru knew he already had an answer.

"I trust Sakura's abilities, she'll take care of Iruka." He responded quietly. Naruto leaned into Sasuke and the lazy genius flicked his gaze over to them, the blonde was holding Sasuke by the waist, discreetly fussing over the Uchiha's stomach. As soon as the pregnant male noticed that he was watching them, he placed his own hand over the blonde's to stop him, Naruto frowned without looking to him and must have tried to move his hand again because Shikamaru could see a pale hand squeeze the tan one tightly.

"Does this happen often?" Kyoko asked, breaking the silence once again. Tsunade glanced over to the girl, her smirk returning and Shikamaru watched as the younger girl blushed in embarrassment as everyone else looked to her.

"Depends." Kakashi answered after a moment of awkward silence. Apricot frowned at the white haired male, face scrunching in confusion.

"That doesn't really answer my question." She started to complain and the blonde Hokage rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Hey, you. Shut up." The Hokage called out. Kyoko stiffened immediately, ducking her head down as her face turned bright red. "Sasuke, Naruto, you two can go home." Everyone's attention turned to Sasuke and the lazy genius couldn't help but notice the blonde's thumb making small circles on the back of the Uchiha's palm as they turned towards the door. "How did everything work out, Kakashi?" Tsunade crossed her legs behind her desk, crossing her arms over her chest as the jonin moved to stand in front of the two chairs. Shikamaru watched his two friends leave, Naruto pulling the door open for Sasuke to walk through. The Uchiha practically ran out of the room, tugging the blonde behind him.

"It took a while but we did manage to figure a few things out. Naruto had a very interesting explanation." Kakashi started. Apricot tentatively moved to stand next to the older man and Shikamaru backed himself up against the wall, leaning against it now that he didn't have to stand at attention.

"Do tell." The Hokage's grin widened.

"He drew pictures." Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "They were rudimentary but adequate in trying to get his point across." Tsunade nodded to him, obviously curious to hear what the white haired man had to say. The lazy genius sighed loudly and turned his head to look out the window, which didn't hold much of a view now that the sun had set. This was not what he had signed up for when he took this job.

* * *

They held hands all the way back to the compound. Sasuke didn't think he could let go even if the blonde tried to pry their hands apart. Naruto was here and he wasn't alone anymore. The blonde was quiet as they walked down the nearly deserted streets of the village but he was so focused on the warmth and roughness of Naruto's hand he didn't think much of it. Sasuke quickly set his hand on the seal to pull down the barrier and Naruto opened the gate, their hands slipping apart to soon for him. The Uchiha followed his blonde into the compound and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness when Naruto slammed the gate shut and guided Sasuke to press his back against the painted wood. His dark eyes met Naruto's the instant before their lips met and the blonde's hands reached up into his hair. Fuck, he missed this.

Sasuke closed his eyes and let the blonde's closeness wash over him. Naruto was pressing against him, his body stinking from traveling all the way from Suna but that smell was making his heart pound in his chest, blood rushing through his veins. It meant Naruto was home. The blonde's hands lowered from his hair, down his neck and shoulders and started roam across his body. Sasuke reached his own hands up to Naruto's chest and gripping the black and orange jacket to make sure the blonde was unharmed, safe.

"Sasuke." Naruto breathed. The blonde pulled his head back just enough for their lips to part and the Uchiha opened his eyes. They stared into each other's eyes as the pregnant male waited for his lover to say something.

"Dobe." Sasuke finally responded when it seemed apparent Naruto wasn't going to say anything more. Naruto smiled so brightly and so suddenly that the Uchiha felt the corners of his lips twitch in response. "How was Suna?" He let his gaze lower to the blonde's lips as Naruto's hands started to rub his arms and shoulders soothingly.

"I don't want to talk about that right now." The blonde murmured. Sasuke lifted his eyes back to Naruto's and he nodded. Naruto leaned in to kiss him again and the Uchiha felt his heart flutter at the gentleness. "Are you alright?" The Uchiha felt the whisper against his lips.

"Hn." Sasuke responded with a small frown. He opened his eyes as the blonde pulled his head back and looked over the Uchiha's face. "It was just a scratch."

"He was trying to kill you." Naruto shot back, cupping Sasuke's cheek with his large, dirty palm. "After he cut through your arm he was going to stab your abdomen, just to see the look on your face before he pierced your heart." The blonde muttered darkly. Sasuke felt the blonde hand reach up to the sleeve of his shirt, lifting it so he could see the seal, checking if it was still intact.

"He didn't get the chance." Sasuke said in response. Naruto shook his head, hand gripping the Uchiha's shoulder tightly as his other hand settled on his pregnant stomach.

"Because I got here before he could, what would have happened if we hadn't come back tonight? If I had walked into the compound even a minute later?" The memory of Naruto scowling at his stomach flashed in his mind again and Sasuke blinked as he looked up into the blonde's face. Naruto's brow was furrowed, his expressive eyes searching for an answer. The blonde in front of him wasn't scowling; his expression was one of distress.

"I don't know," Sasuke answered truthfully. "What matters is what did happen, that you got here when you did."

"That you're safe." Naruto murmured. His anxiousness disappeared as he smiled and Sasuke nodded, shifting his gaze as his heart started to flutter once more. The blonde was kissing him again before he could say anything, the hand on his stomach rubbing circles against his clothed skin.

"We should get home, Sakura is probably waiting for us." Sasuke whispered. The blonde kissed him again in response and the Uchiha let him for a few moments before placing his own hand over a tan hand. "Naruto." He said with a little more force.

"Just a few more minutes, I want to hold you." Naruto murmured. He lifted his head, pressing his nose into the Uchiha's hair to inhale deeply. Sasuke quietly let Naruto do as he pleased, the hand starting to move across the expanse of his stomach anew. "I missed you." The Uchiha was enveloped in Naruto's scent, his warmth, touch, and it felt like he was whole again.

"You reek." Sasuke mumbled in response. Naruto sighed happily, pressing his nose into the Uchiha's hair before lowering his head and kissing his pale forehead.

"I'll take a shower if you join me." The blonde replied cheekily. Sasuke's body reacted to the words, his face growing hot as his cock twitched in interest. Naruto smiled as he pulled back enough to meet the Uchiha's flustered gaze. Three weeks was too damn long.

"Hn." Sasuke hummed as he kissed the blonde's smiling lips quickly. Naruto dropped his hand from the Uchiha's round middle and clasped his lover's hand. They started walking slowly down the street in the darkness of the night, enjoying the tingling warmth that spread from their touching hands.

"You went to a maternity shop?" Naruto asked quietly. Sasuke glanced over to the blonde, seeing his shadowed figure looking forward with a somber expression. "Kiba heard that Sakura told Ino that you were pregnant too. I thought we wanted to hide your pregnancy for as long as we could." The Uchiha felt of pang of regret hit him in the chest, settling under his ribcage. He should have thought of the plan before he had left for Suna, so he could have warned him of what was going to happen.

"Sakura told me that secluding myself wasn't what you wanted for me." Naruto's grip on his hand tightened. "We knew going into this we couldn't hide it forever and she was right. After the isolation cell, never leaving your apartment, here in the compound, I don't want to isolate myself anymore." The Uchiha looked over to his blonde again, seeing Naruto's bright blue eyes watching him.

"So you went out to buy clothes." Naruto stated quietly. "You could have waited for me to come back." He didn't sound angry and the feeling in the pregnant male's chest eased a little.

"We didn't know how long you were going to be gone," Sasuke said quietly. "And Sakura was being forceful about getting clothes that would fit me in the next four months." He listened to Naruto snort and watched him smile. The pain in his chest disappeared almost instantly to have relief replace it.

She would." Naruto chuckled. "What about the elder spy?" The Uchiha leaned into the blonde's shoulder as they turned a corner, a warm feeling flowing through his body.

"He hadn't done anything more than watch us before tonight." The Uchiha answered quietly. "I was taken off my desk job of a mission when my look-alike told the Hokage that the elders knew." Naruto didn't say anything for a while, his thumb still rubbing the back of Sasuke's palm as they walked slowly to their home.

"How did Sai find out?" The blonde asked. Sasuke didn't have to look to see the smile on his face, he could hear loud and clear. Everyone knew he didn't like Sai. Naruto was more than aware that he was irritated by the very mention of his look-alike and as much as he hated the artist, the man had helped him.

"He was with the elders when they found out, Sai," Sasuke tried not spit the man's name out. "Came straight to Sakura and I. He said he wanted to protect your precious person." Naruto's widening grin was rolling off of him in waves and Sasuke tightened his grip on the blonde's hand in warning.

"Think we were wrong? Maybe Sai does have emotions." The blonde snickered. Stepping onto the porch of their home, Sasuke stepped ahead of Naruto, tugging him up to the front door and squashed his initial reaction to punch the blonde.

"Oh good, you're back." Sakura sighed in relief as she opened the door before they could. She stepped out, motioning for the two to move back. "Naruto, I need you to help Yamato get Iruka home. Do you know when Kakashi will be done with the debriefing?" The two dark haired men came slowly to the door and Sasuke felt Naruto squeeze his hand before letting go as he moved to help the Yamato hold the teacher up.

"Could be an hour or two. How's Iruka?" The blonde immediately took in Iruka's appearance, seeing the white bandage around his head and already bruising chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt and Yamato was missing his flak jacket, his pants stained with what looked to be vomit.

"I healed two fractured ribs and he's got a concussion. It's not serious but I'd feel more comfortable if someone kept an eye on him through the night since he threw up on Yamato." Sakura answered. "He doesn't want to go to the hospital because he knows they're going to keep him overnight." Sasuke watched as Naruto took Iruka's free arm and pulled it over his shoulders as the teacher looked at him with a sweet smile. Yamato gratefully shifted the teacher towards him. "He wants Kakashi to at least have a bed since he just came back from a mission rather than sitting in a hospital chair, let alone sleep in it. Here, this is the salve for your arm but I'll need it back tomorrow." Sakura handed Sasuke a small container and he took it, slipping it his pocket.

"Hullo, Naruto." The dark skinned man murmured. Naruto smiled back at him as he took some of Iruka's weight from Yamato. "Where's Kakashi?" Iruka looked around, his eyes landing on Sasuke for a few seconds before looking back to Naruto for an answer.

"He's talking to the Hokage. Don't worry, Kakashi'll be back before you know it." Naruto told him. "Alright, ready, Yamato?" The older brunet nodded and they stepped off the porch and started to walk, keeping the teacher from falling. Sakura and Sasuke followed them as they walked across the street and Iruka looked behind him to the Uchiha.

"Sorry, Sasuke. I wasn't thinking." The teacher apologized. He shook his head at Iruka as they got to the front of Iruka's home. Sakura moved ahead of them and opened the door, holding it open as Yamato and Naruto maneuvered so they could walk through the doorway without having to let go of Iruka.

"It's okay, Iruka-sensei." Sasuke told him. "You were only trying to help." The Uchiha watched the older male's smile return before looked away, feeling awkward. Yamato and Naruto got Iruka into the house, Sasuke and Sakura following them. They quietly let Iruka direct them through another doorway, to the couch and started to silently communicate how to get him onto it with the least amount of difficulty.

"Here we go." The blonde told his old teacher as he helped the man sit down on the couch, Yamato slipped away and sighed tiredly. Iruka immediately reclined backwards, wrapping his hands around his chest and looked up to everyone. "Okay, who's on watch duty until Kakashi gets back?" Naruto grinned as he looked at Sasuke.

"You two and Yamato can go home, I still live here so I might as well." Sakura told the men as she pointed to Naruto and Sasuke. "I'll get my med kit from you tomorrow. I'll need to check Iruka over again." Iruka's eyes widened, his mouth dropped and he looked to Sakura in confusion. "Don't worry Sensei, we're just being cautious." She moved across the room, grabbing a blanket from a box on the floor and moved back to the couch, handing it to Iruka. Naruto nodded and turned to Sasuke, grabbing the dark haired male's shoulders, pushing him toward the door.

"See you tomorrow then." The blonde waved back at them. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Sasuke's ear. "Quick, before she changes her mind." Sasuke snorted softly as they left the house, Yamato quick to follow them.

"We left the barrier open, just make sure to close the gate behind you." Sasuke told the brunet male. Naruto continued to urge the Uchiha in the direction of their home as Yamato paused in the middle of the street, smiling at the two younger men.

"Enjoy yourselves." He called out. Yamato waved goodbye and turned down the street as both Naruto and Sasuke headed for their home again.

"We're not going to seal the gate?" The blonde asked. Sasuke shook his head as he pulled open the front door, stepping inside as his blonde followed him. They found their living room in a state of disarray, Iruka's jacket and shirt were tossed across the floor, and the contents of Sakura's med kit were covering the entirety of the coffee table. Yamato's flak jacket was hanging across the back of the couch, the front covered in drying vomit.

"All of my clan's things have been either destroyed or secured. I'm done hiding, we don't need the barrier anymore." Sasuke told him. He felt Naruto's hands slip around his waist as his body pressed against his backside.

"Does that mean we're getting close to being ready to have people move in?" Naruto asked. The Uchiha tilted his head as Naruto's lips brushed against his cheek and his hands mapped out the expanse of his growing stomach.

"Hn." Sasuke raised his own hand to his abdomen, his anxiousness returning as he remembered waking up thinking that Naruto hated his body. Naruto took the Uchiha's hand, intertwining their fingers as his other hand held his prominent baby bump.

"Now, about that shower." The blonde murmured huskily. He felt Naruto move back, pulling him by his hand to turn him around and Sasuke saw the mischievous twinkle in his lover's bright blue eyes. His body was already reacting to the idea, the skin on the back of his neck starting to prickle in anticipation as the blonde unzipped his orange and black jacket, letting it drop to the floor.

The blonde leaned over and kissed him as he reached up and slipped his forehead protector off. Sasuke closed his eyes and tilted his head as Naruto's tongue wet his lips. He could hear the blonde's weapon's pouch clatter to the floor as Naruto pressed their bodies together, pushing them both farther into the house. Sasuke couldn't restrain himself anymore, he grabbed at Naruto's foul smelling black shirt reaching his hands under it to feel the warm skin under his fingertips. The Uchiha kissed the blonde back frantically, stepping backwards as Naruto stepped forward. To the Uchiha's surprise, the blonde managed to get them halfway down the hall before they bumped into a wall with their lips still attached.

"Come on." Naruto whispered against the Uchiha's mouth. The blonde moved ahead of him, pulling off his shirt and letting it drop before tugging on Sasuke's. He let Naruto raise it above his head when they slipped into their bedroom. Naruto was kissing him before the shirt passed over his eyes and it caught the Uchiha by surprise. An arm slipped around his waist, pulling him closer as the blonde ravaged his mouth and jerked the rest of his black shirt off.

Fingers raced up and down his spine as the blonde brought his other hand to Sasuke's stomach and the Uchiha pressed their bodies together. He dropped his hands to the blonde's pants, attempting to unhook the button and zipper simultaneously. Naruto's hands were leaving goosebumps across his skin and his length twitched as the blonde's hand on his abdomen slipped down to his crotch.

"I want you." Naruto whispered. He palmed the Uchiha's quickly growing erection and Sasuke jerked his hips forward as he finally unclasped the blonde's pants and tried to shove them past his hips.

"Shower." Sasuke breathlessly responded. As much as he wanted Naruto, he wanted the blonde to get a hot shower. He knew what it took to run for three days straight and Naruto was exhausted even if he didn't act like it. If the blonde didn't fall asleep in the shower he'd be out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Naruto's kiss morphed into a grin as leaned backwards, reluctantly pulling his hands off Sasuke's body. He dropped his pants to the floor, stepping out of them as his hands went straight for the Uchiha's sweatpants. Sasuke moved before the blonde could get his hands on him, heading towards the bathroom.

"Alright, fine." Naruto called out. "Shower sex it is." Sasuke looked back to see the blonde grinning, following him into the bathroom. When the Uchiha turned around, Naruto was right behind him and slipped his fingers between his skin and the elastic band of his pants and yanked them off in excitement. For a second, the fear of what Naruto thought about his body raced through his mind but the blonde grinned and set his hand on Sasuke's abdomen again. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Shut up, Usuratonkachi." The Uchiha replied almost automatically. He slapped the blonde's hand off of him as his erection grew and cheeks flushed pink. Then it dawned on him that he was naked and Naruto was still in his grimy boxers. Naruto leaned in to kiss him, dirt-covered hands trailing across his chest as Sasuke removed the last article of clothing between them.

The kiss was a gentle peck of the lips as the Uchiha let the boxers drop and both of their hands went straight to each other's lengths. A shiver of happiness surged through Sasuke's body when he felt Naruto's swelling erection and he stroked it, feeling it harden under his touch. They both started to move towards the shower stall and Sasuke listened to the blonde moan softly as he dropped his head onto the Uchiha's shoulder.

"Shit, want you." Naruto mumbled again. Sasuke felt his face heat up again and he let go of Naruto's erection to nudge him into the shower stall. The Uchiha stepped in after him, watching the blonde turn on the showerhead. Cold water hit Naruto on the head, spraying onto Sasuke's chest and he shivered as the water turned hot. Sasuke watched as the blonde straightened under the water, letting it run over his head and down his chest and back. "Come here." Naruto turned around, pulling his wet hair out of his face and grabbed Sasuke's waist, urging him closer. Sasuke stepped into the water spray and he reached for a bottle of shampoo. The blonde kissed his way across the Uchiha's cheek and down his neck as Sasuke grabbed the shampoo bottle.

"Shower first." He said with whatever force he could muster. Naruto continued kissing down the expanse of Sasuke's neck and he was aiming to suck on his lover's collarbone but said male slipped his hand in front of the blonde's mouth. He pushed the blonde's mouth away and popped the cap of the shampoo bottle open. The blonde took Sasuke's hand and put it under the hot water, wiping away the dried blood on his arm and hand as best he could.

"Too dirty for you?" Naruto asked with a grin. Sasuke gave him a pointed glance as he poured shampoo into his open palm. The blonde pressed his thumb against the fresh thin scar as he tried to gently scrape dried blood that wouldn't wash off.

"Yes, Dobe." The Uchiha responded teasingly. He set the bottle back down and tapped Naruto's shoulder with the side of his palm to get him to turn around with a playful smirk. Spreading the shampoo onto both hands, he let Naruto kiss him one more time before dropping the Uchiha's arm and turning around obediently. "Use the soap." Sasuke ran his fingers through Naruto's hair, feeling for any knots or clumps of wet matted hair as the blonde reached for the soap. Working the shampoo into a foamy lather, the Uchiha quietly massaged Naruto's head and smiled when the blonde groaned. Naruto was quickly washing himself, running the bar of soap over his skin before scrubbing the dirt off roughly. Sasuke pushed the blonde's head under the showerhead and listened to him splutter in surprise. Naruto shook his head and flipped his hair out of his face as the Uchiha rinsed his hair.

"Teme." The blonde whined. Naruto turned and ran his own hand through his hair and Sasuke saw the mixture of soap and dirt on his arms and chest that the blonde haphazardly missed.

"You need to wash properly." Sasuke took the soap out of the blonde's hands and coated his palms in it as Naruto looked down at himself to see what the dark haired male was talking about. Reaching past Naruto, Sasuke set the soap back in its place and placed his lips on the blonde's. Naruto accepted the kiss immediately, his arms wrapping around Sasuke's frame. The Uchiha slipped his hands down the blonde's arms, scrubbing the dirt and grime away as their kiss deepened.

Naruto's hands were wandering across his back, teasingly skirting the crease of his ass. Sasuke jerked his hips forward, their erections brushing together as the Uchiha grabbed both of the blonde's hands, massaging the pads of his palms and in between his fingers. The blonde moaned again, sucking on the Uchiha's bottom lip as Sasuke's hands trailed up his arms again. Pushing the blonde's upper body away, Sasuke splayed his hands on Naruto's pectorals, teasingly brushing his fingers over erect nipples. Naruto pulled back and grinned as Sasuke methodically moved his hands and then pinched his nipples.

The blonde's body twitched and he moved his own hands to Sasuke's nipples, rubbing his thumbs over them until they were erect. Finding Naruto's chest clean enough, he slipped his hands down the blonde's defined abs and Naruto's hands mirrored his own. Sasuke started to frown, feeling the blonde's hands on the top of his baby bump but then Naruto was kissing him again. He rushed to clean Naruto's stomach, moved his hands lower and bit the blonde's lip when the idiot's hands didn't mimic his movements.

"Ow." Naruto chuckled. It took taking the blonde's length into his hand and giving it a light squeeze to make Naruto reciprocate the Uchiha's movements. Reluctantly, the blonde let one of his hands trail down, his other hand seemed to focus on his belly button, much to Sasuke's displeasure. Naruto gripped him by the base of his length, jerking his hips as the Uchiha fisted him. He squeezed and stroked the way his blonde liked while his hips rocked in rhythm of Naruto's skillful hand. The blonde's tongue slipped into his mouth again and swallowed Sasuke's moan when Naruto teased his slit. Sasuke quickly moved his hands to return the favor, one hand to the head of Naruto's length and the other down to the blonde's scrotum. Naruto jerked his hips forward, pressing their lower bodies together as the Uchiha cupped his balls. The Uchiha stepped into the blonde, forcing him against the shower wall as they fondled each other and Naruto's free hand slipped around his waist, holding Sasuke close.

Naruto inhaled sharply through his nose when Sasuke's fingers slipped behind his ball sack to rub against his perineum. The blonde's rhythm faltered and he turned his head, breaking the kiss with a heavy puff of breath. Opening his eyes, the Uchiha saw the expanse of the blonde's neck as Naruto dropped his head onto his shoulder. He was pressing his lips to the blonde's neck before he realized that he wanted to suck a hickey there, regardless if it would disappear before they got out of the shower. Pleasure was coursing through his body, the intensity of holding his lover after three weeks of separation magnifying the sexual tension exponentially.

"S-Sasuke." Naruto gasped. The Uchiha knew it was the only warning he was going to get before the blonde reached his limit and a few seconds later, Naruto let out a grunt as he climaxed. Sasuke continued sucking on Naruto's tan neck, rubbing the pads of his fingers against the blonde's perineum and milked the blonde's cum from his twitching length. Cum splattered against his pregnant stomach and the hand around his erection slipped down to his base, squeezing him in a repetitive motion until he achieved his own orgasm.

"Ngh!" Sasuke grunted softly into Naruto's skin. He felt the blonde's hand reach up to the head of his length, teasing him as he ejaculated onto both of their stomachs. Naruto lifted his head off of Sasuke's shoulder and the Uchiha reluctantly let the skin of the blonde's neck go. He eyed the dark hickey proudly as Naruto lifted his head to kiss him deeply and they moved positions again. The blonde stepped back into the still hot spray of water, taking Sasuke with him as his hand fondled the pregnant male's softening length. Sasuke raised his hands behind Naruto's back, blindly grabbing the bar of soap to coat his hands in it again. Naruto's kisses became less urgent and he seemed to lose focus on what his hands were doing as Sasuke set the soap back down. Wrapping his hands around the blonde's sides, he rubbed the dirt and sweat off that he could feel. When his hands trailed down to the blonde's ass cheeks, he felt the exhausted male moan into his mouth.

"Mmh, please." Naruto mumbled. Shifting, the blonde thrust out his ass and Sasuke grasped each cheek and listened to Naruto moan again. "Want you." A jolt of pleasure went straight to the Uchiha's groin and he pulled away from their kiss, licking his lips. Continuing to massage the blonde's ass cheeks, he opened his eyes and took in Naruto's expression. Sated and tired, the blonde's lips were still parted as he blinked dazedly.

"Not until you're clean." Sasuke murmured softly. Naruto groaned weakly but didn't try to persuade him otherwise. Shifting, the blonde moved so his back was under the showerhead and let the Uchiha wash him. "Lean against the wall." He ordered gently and the blonde did so, raising a hand to push his hair out of his face again and Sasuke brought his hands to their stomachs, washing away their mixed essences. Dropping down to his knees, he ran his hands down the blonde's muscled thighs and over his knees to his ankles.

Naruto lifted one of his feet up before the Uchiha could say anything and the dark haired male took it quickly, washing away the dirt and set it back down so the blonde could offer his other foot. Sasuke watched the blonde's head slowly dropped down to his chest, his eyelids drooping as he finished washing the blonde. Standing back up, the Uchiha turned off the water and slipped his hand under Naruto's chin, lifting his head up to plant a soft kiss on his lips. Half asleep, the blonde returned his kiss slowly and Sasuke raised his hands to Naruto's shoulders, softly shaking him awake.

"Hmm," The blonde hummed. He kissed Sasuke back lazily, opening his eyes with a tired smile. "Now?" Naruto asked. The Uchiha smiled and shook his head and moved to step out of the shower, motioning for the blonde to follow him. He pulled a towel from the towel rack and handed it to his lover before grabbing one for himself. Sasuke quickly dried himself, watching Naruto lethargically do the same as he leaned against the shower door. Smirking, the Uchiha set his towel down and took the blonde's towel, finishing the job for him and made sure he was dry.

"Time for bed." Sasuke told the blonde as he ruffled Naruto's hair with the towel.

"Time for sex, you mean." Naruto responded sleepily. Sasuke raised his eyebrows and pulled the towel off the blonde's head, placing it back on the towel rack. He watched Naruto try to give him a seductive smile but he ended up looking fatigued.

"Hn." The Uchiha rolled his eyes and took the blonde by his hand, leading him to their bedroom as he turned off the bathroom light. He went straight to the bed, the blonde nearly walking into him when he stopped. Naruto's hands trailed over his waist and hips as the Uchiha tried to maneuver him into the bed. Giving up after a few long seconds, Sasuke pulled the tan hands off of his body and pushed Naruto onto the bed. He watched the blonde's naked body bounce against the mattress before settling in an uncomfortable position.

"Love you too." Naruto smiled tiredly up at the Uchiha as he rolled onto his side, watching as Sasuke turned around and left the room. Sasuke quickly turned off the lights in the house, walking back into their bedroom and turning the light off. Naruto hadn't moved, his shadowed form lying prone on the bed facing the bathroom. When Sasuke pulled the blanket out from under him, Naruto seemed to wake up for a moment, moving so the Uchiha could do whatever he needed to do. Sasuke slipped under the blanket as the blonde rolled over, his hand immediately wrapping around his waist. "Teme." The blonde tried kissing him, Naruto's lips brushing along the bridge of his nose instead and Sasuke snorted softly.

"Sleep." He whispered. Lifting his head, he let his lips caress the blonde's until Naruto's breathing evened and Sasuke was sure he was dead to the world. Pressing himself as close to Naruto as he possibly could, he closed his eyes and settled in. Content and sated for the night, he relaxed and let the sound of Naruto's breathing and warmth of his body lull him to sleep.


	27. Morning Massage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I got some of the information wrong at the end of the chapter, I apologize in advance.

**September twenty-fifth, still the twentieth week,**

Sasuke woke to the feeling of his nose being pushed into a warm shoulder. He opened his eyes and blinked the sleep away as he lifted his head to look to Naruto. The blonde was still asleep, his lips slightly parted and arm wrapped over the Uchiha's side as his bladder made an urgent pang for attention. He pulled the blonde's arm off of him and slipped off the bed, knowing he wouldn't wake him when he went to the bathroom. Naruto followed him, rolling onto his stomach and over to Sasuke's side of the bed with his hand outstretched.

Giving the sleeping blonde a smile, he went to the bathroom and relieved himself. Flushing the toilet and washing his hands, he thought about how he could properly welcome Naruto home. Helping the blonde shower because he was falling asleep from exhaustion didn't count. He looked at the numerous bottles of lube on their bathroom counter and picked up one specific unopened bottle that caught his eye. Perfect. Going to bed naked had only made this easier.

Walking back to the bed, Sasuke pulled their blanket off the bed, revealing Naruto's entire backside. The blonde didn't even twitch as Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the tips of his fingers against Naruto's feet. As expected, his lover didn't seem to feel it, obliviously sleeping on. Opening the bottle of massage oil, the Uchiha poured a small amount into his open palm and set the bottle down on the edge of the bed. He warmed the oil between his hands before taking one of the blonde's feet and started to massage it. Sasuke rubbed the oil in, spreading it across the blonde's arch, heel and over his ankle. He ran his hands up the back of Naruto's calf, putting pressure on the back of his knee where he knew there would be soreness. The blonde sighed in his sleep but didn't wake so the Uchiha took Naruto's other foot and gave it the same treatment. Naruto's toes twitched at the tingling feeling but he didn't wake. He paused in his massage to pour more oil on his hands before moving to Naruto's thighs. Pressing his thumbs in deep, Sasuke felt out each muscle and eased whatever tension was left in them.

Moving his hands upwards again, he squeezed the firm globes of naturally tanned skin, trailing his fingertips along the blonde's crack but got no response. This was not the first time Naruto's ability to sleep through anything had irritated him but he only paused long enough to reapply the oil and move into a more comfortable position. He swung a leg over Naruto's and leaned forward, splaying his fingers across the blonde's muscled back.

"Hmmnn." Naruto mumbled sleepily. Sasuke felt the muscles under his fingers flex, the blonde's hips twist as he stretched underneath the Uchiha's body. "G'morning." The Uchiha nodded silently as he pressed down on Naruto's shoulder blades, feeling out the knots before working on them. Rubbing the oil into the tan skin, Sasuke moved his lower body, settling himself on Naruto's ass, his half hard length resting between the soft cheeks. Naruto turned his head, looking up to Sasuke with a dreamy smile on his face.

"Welcome home." Sasuke murmured. He rolled his hips as he leaned down to kiss the blonde's cheek and smirked as Naruto tried to raise his hips up to meet his thrust. Sasuke straightened and continued the massage, sliding his hands down tan arms to spread what was left of the oil. Naruto closed his eyes again, his smile slowly fading as he probably drifted in and out sleep. Once the Uchiha decided that Naruto was adequately relaxed, he eased up on the pressure of his hands. He gave the blonde's back light touches as he raised himself up onto his knees. Leaning forward, Sasuke grabbed an open bottle of lube from their nightstand and poured some of it between tan ass cheeks, glancing to Naruto's face to see if he reacted. The blonde had fallen asleep again and the Uchiha capped the bottle, leaning over to set it back down on the small table.

He scooted down, giving himself room as he ran a finger through the cold substance. Sasuke felt his mouth go dry as he pressed his fingertip against the blonde's entrance. Naruto was still fast asleep and the Uchiha pressed a second finger against the pliant muscles. The blonde's body twitched as he spread the lube and pushed his middle finger past the ring of muscles. Sasuke bent his finger, searching for Naruto's prostate before he slipped it out and pushed it back in again. This time the blonde shifted, fighting to stay asleep and the Uchiha smirked, adding a second finger as the ring of muscles clenched around them.

"What happened to the massage?" Naruto mumbled with a smile. The muscles around Sasuke's fingers relaxed and he started pump his fingers in response. Meeting the blonde's gaze, he watched Naruto raise his hands with a grin, setting them under his pillow.

"I finished." The Uchiha told him. "And you were so keen on this last night." He smirked when Naruto's grin widened. Sasuke lowered his free hand to his growing erection and licked his lips as he stretched the blonde's entrance.

"That's 'cause it's been so long." Naruto hummed. Pressing a third finger against Naruto's loosening muscles, the Uchiha started to fist himself as he focused on what he was feeling, what he was seeing. The last time he had been on top had been long before they had talked about having a baby. "I forgot how good this feels." Naruto sighed happily. Sasuke pulled his fingers out, listening to the blonde whine softly as he pressed his erection between the tan cheeks.

He started out by teasing his blonde, gently thrusting his length between Naruto's ass cheeks. His lover lifted his hips, trying to get more friction as he lowered a hand, trying to squeeze it under his body to reach his own growing erection. Sasuke let him; he grabbed the muscled cheeks and pushed them together as he moved his hips. Naruto let out a groan as his arm started to move, obviously jerking off and the Uchiha pressed the head of his length against the blonde's entrance. Instead of pushing himself inside the blonde, he raised himself onto his knees and scooted backwards, listening to Naruto groan at the loss.

"Hands and knees, Dobe." Sasuke slapped the blonde's ass as he watched Naruto unwillingly move, dropping his hand from his crotch to raise himself up. Grabbing the tan ass cheeks again, the Uchiha parted them to inspect the blonde's entrance. It took the blonde forever but when he was finally in a proper kneeling position, Sasuke pushed two fingers past the stretched muscles and immediately pressed the blonde's prostate. Naruto moaned again, shoving his ass back against the fingers and moved his hand back to his crotch. The Uchiha leaned forward this time and pulled the blonde's hand away from his crotch, slapping his ass again. "Stop that." Sasuke scolded him.

Naruto groaned as he set his hand back down, pushing against the two fingers inside him. The Uchiha smirked as he pulled out his fingers and pressed the head of his own erection against the blonde's entrance instead. Wiggling his hips, Naruto looked over his shoulder pleadingly as Sasuke grabbed himself and pushed the head of his length against the slick entrance. At first, the muscles refused to give way but after a split second the blonde's entrance swallowed his tip greedily. Sasuke inhaled sharply as he repositioned himself, trying to focus on anything other than where his body connected with Naruto. It had been way too long since he had been on top and if he didn't calm himself down he was going to ejaculate prematurely.

"Hng!" Naruto grunted in pain as Sasuke shifted. The Uchiha froze and set his hand on the blonde's backside, watching his lover's head drop down.

"Okay?" Sasuke asked softly. His gaze immediately went to the bottle of lube and he immediately started thinking about how to get it without jostling the man below him too much.

"Yeah." The blonde responded, his voice hoarse. "You?" The Uchiha watched Naruto lift his head to give him a weak grin. His heart throbbed in his chest at the blonde's expression and he felt his face heat up and erection swell.

"You're tight. Hand me the lube." Sasuke held the blonde's gaze as Naruto's smile widened before shifting his eyes to the nightstand again.

"Well you're big," Naruto shot back with a grin. He turned his head and reached for the bottle as the Uchiha watched the blonde's upper body move. Taught muscles under flawless tan skin as Naruto twisted his arm behind him, holding the lube out for Sasuke to take. "And I'm not talking about your stomach." The blonde added before chuckling.

"Dobe." Sasuke growled. He took the bottle from Naruto's hand and applied lube to his fingers. Recapping the bottle, Sasuke tossed it to the floor and pressed his lubed fingers at the blonde's entrance. Naruto let out a small gasp as the cooler, water-based gel touched his skin and his muscles contracted around the Uchiha's length. Spreading the lube, the Uchiha waited for the blonde to relax before starting to shallowly thrust into him. He listened carefully and watched the blonde's body for any hint of pain but Naruto only pushed his body into the thrusts. Grabbing the blonde's hips, the Uchiha slowly eased more of his erection past the contracting muscles. Sasuke heard his lover whine not in pain but in frustration and tightened his grip on tan hips instead of pausing in his movements.

"Come on, feels good." Naruto told him. The Uchiha felt him move backwards before he could do anything and he jumped in surprise as his entire length was forced past the blonde's entrance. Naruto's ass cheeks bumped his protruding abdomen as Sasuke let out a grunt. "Yes! That's it." The blonde moaned. Naruto was clamping down on him and the Uchiha leaned over as far as he could, dropping one of his hands down to the blonde's erection. His hand brushed against the hot skin of Naruto's length before he gripped it, feeling the hardness and pre-cum on the tip. Sasuke rocked his hips, feeling Naruto try to move under him and he squeezed the erection in his hand, feeling the blonde jerk in response. He pressed his lips to the blonde's back, kissing the warm skin tenderly as he stilled his hips.

"Idiot." The Uchiha whispered. Naruto whined wordlessly in response as the dark haired male straightened and rolled his hips. After another frustrated whine from the blonde, Sasuke started to thrust slowly and listened to Naruto make small grunts. The blonde rocked on his hands and knees, quickly matching the Uchiha's quickening pace.

"Ungh." Naruto moaned as Sasuke fisted the blonde's erection. The dark haired male rubbed his palm against the head of the length and listened to the male below him let out a long moan. They fell out of synch, Naruto was rocking faster than Sasuke could move his hips and the Uchiha stopped moving, letting the blonde take the lead. "Sasuke!" Naruto cried out when he realized he was the only one thrusting. The Uchiha remained still as he continued to fist the blonde's length and watched Naruto turn his head to give him a pleading look. Reaching out, Sasuke let go of the blonde's length, setting one hand on Naruto's hip and the other on a tan shoulder. He rocked his hips into the blonde, his abdomen slapping against his lover's tan ass. Naruto's upper body dropped suddenly, his face hitting the pillow as one hand clenched the sheets and the other reached down once again to his neglected erection. Sasuke grunted with each thrust as the pleasure continued to increase and he could hear the blonde moan quietly.

"Close." Sasuke murmured. His control was weakening as the blonde continued to clamp down on him, then loosen and contract again. It was like the blonde was sucking him in deeper purposely and he changed his angle, thrusting straight into the blonde's prostrate.

"Me, too." Naruto gasped out. He tried to raise himself up off his elbows, his hips pushing against the Uchiha's thrusts again. With a stuttered moan, the blonde's body tensed and climaxed. Sasuke could feel each and every spasm of the body beneath him and it coursed through him, his body starting to twitch and jerk as his orgasm ripped through him. The Uchiha pulled out as he came and watched as his essence spilled onto the blonde's back. Their heavy breathing mingled with the silence and Sasuke lifted his leg and sat down on his ass next to his lover who collapsed onto his stomach carelessly.

"That was harder than I thought it'd be." Naruto laughed breathlessly. Sasuke dipped his head in a nod, his eyes roving over the blonde's body.

"Won't be able to do it like that for much longer." Sasuke huffed. "I'll be too big, and I am talking about my stomach." He watched Naruto turned his head and reach for something on the floor, the blonde pulled a box of tissues onto the bed, setting it between him and the Uchiha. Immediately, Sasuke pulled tissue out and set it on Naruto's back, cleaning his essence off of the tan skin.

"Then I'll just have to show you how much I love you in other ways." The blonde responded happily. Sasuke watched as Naruto reached out, setting a hand on his protruding abdomen. Their eyes met briefly before Naruto grinned mischievously and let his fingers trail downward.

"Wait." The Uchiha reached out, gripping the blonde's wrist to keep him from grabbing him. "I have to show you something." Naruto blinked in confusion as Sasuke moved off the bed to look for something. It took him a minute but the dark haired male found his chuunin vest and dug his hands into its pockets. "Here."

"What is it?" The blonde asked. Sasuke pulled something rectangular and white out of his vest pocket and moved back to the bed. Naruto held out his hand as the Uchiha sat down and flipped it over to see what was on the other side. Sasuke watched the blonde's jaw drop and shocked blue eyes met his. "Is this?"

"It's from a second ultrasound." The Uchiha nodded as his lover shifted, sitting up as he continued to stare at the ultrasound picture. "I had a checkup that coincided with my mission at the hospital."

"Our baby. That's our baby." Naruto breathed. Sasuke moved to sit beside the enraptured blonde. "Did you find out if it was a girl or boy?" The blue-eyed blonde finally looked up from the picture and slipped his arm around Sasuke's shoulders. The dark haired male shook his head and was pulled close as he raised the ultrasound picture up for both of them to see.

"Did you want me too?" Sasuke questioned. They both looked at the grey and black picture, seeing the tiny little foot and the outline of the baby's head that the sonographer had pointed out to the Uchiha.

"No," Naruto let his cheek rest against Sasuke's head. After a few minutes of silence, the blonde rolled to the side of the bed, leaning the ultrasound picture against the frame of the picture of Sasuke and Itachi as kids. "Now, back to demonstrating how much I love you." Naruto rolled back to the Uchiha, lying on his side as he pressed a kiss to Sasuke's temple, and dipped his head down as he trailed kisses across Sasuke's cheek.

"Love you too." The Uchiha whispered. He felt his entire body respond, heart pounding in his chest and the skin of his arms and shoulders prickling as the blonde's lips traced a path down his neck. Naruto grinned against his collarbone and Sasuke allowed the blonde to roll him over onto his back. Naruto's hands moved down his chest, over his pregnant abdomen and it was hard to contain his sharp inhale of breath when warm hands wrapped around his renewed interest.

* * *

**September twenty-ninth, still the twentieth week**

"It didn't affect Kyoko?" Sasuke frowned. The two clones massaging his feet in front of him nodded simultaneously. They hadn't really spent much time talking about Suna, Naruto had slept for most of the day after coming back, only getting up to make himself instant ramen. The days following that, he had been helping the substitute at the academy while Iruka recovered and then today the Hokage had sent him on a scroll delivery mission to the Fire Daiymo with Yamato. Naruto, the real Naruto, had left the three clones in hopes that at least one of them would last until he got back. Instead of the temperamental mood the blonde thought he'd be in because of the lack of quality time, Sasuke found himself glad for the company. His feet had been sore for most of the day and the clones were more than willing to accommodate him in hopes they wouldn't be dispelled.

"Not like it did me." The clone he was leaning against answered. "Her eyes turned red and the contact weakened her seal even faster but her hand didn't burn where we touched." Sasuke nodded, his head resting comfortably in the crook of Naruto's neck as the blonde's hands moved across his chest and stomach. Naruto's fingers had been playing with the hem of his shirt since they'd settled on the bed half an hour ago and Sasuke was surprised the clone hadn't slipped it under his shirt or down his sweatpants by now.

"Hn." The Uchiha murmured. Naruto's clones holding his feet nodded in unison and one of them pressed their thumbs into his heel. He let out a soft sigh and let himself melt into the blonde behind him. The clone leaned backwards to let Sasuke recline against him as the two clones holding his feet started to sync their hand movements.

"Any idea why?" Naruto's clone holding his left foot asked. Sasuke closed his eyes in response and let the information of what happened in Suna sink in. He had known that physical proximity weakened Apricot's seal but from what the clones were telling him, when they touched the seal practically crumbled away in comparison. Add Naruto's hand being burned by the chakra as it forced it's way down his pathways and it was a troubling problem.

"Sasuke?" A clone called out softly. Opening his eyes, he raised an eyebrow at the two clones in front of him who were watching him expectantly. Their hands eased away from his heels, reaching for his ankles and the Uchiha flexed his feet appreciatively.

"Mh," He grunted softly in response. Reaching up with one hand, Sasuke grabbed the tan hand on his stomach and cupped it in his own. Brushing his thumb against the warm skin, he closed his eyes again and let his mind drift back to his earlier thoughts. The chakra couldn't be contained by Apricot's seal forever but was it possible to make a seal that would transfer Kyuubi's chakra from Apricot to Naruto without killing him? He hadn't come across anything like that after the chuunin exams when he had been researching how to strengthen the girl's seal.

"Any ideas?" The clone behind him asked quietly. Sasuke opened his eyes again and shook his head. The two Narutos rubbing his ankles watched him and one of them shrugged his shoulders as the other looked towards the door. Listening attentively, the Uchiha could hear soft footfalls against wooden floors and the sound of a flak jacket being dropped to the floor.

"I'll have to ask permission from the Hokage to get in the scroll rooms. If there's anything that could help, it'd be in there." Sasuke replied. He pulled his legs away from the clones and moved to sit up straight on the bed. The real Naruto walked in as the Uchiha turned around and he watched the blonde's eyes meet his in mild surprise.

"What are you still doing up?" He asked. Sasuke watched him pull off his forehead protector and move to set it down on their nightstand. His flak jacket was noticeably missing from his person, leaving him in his all black uniform.

"We were talking." The Uchiha answered. Naruto looked to his clones and nodded in understanding as he stepped up to the bed and leaned in for a kiss. Sasuke could feel the clones dispel as the blonde's fingers ran through his hair and firmly kissed Naruto as the memories of the clones sank in.

"She told me she's still waiting on permissions from the clerks of some restricted sections to allow you access." Naruto when he pulled back and straightened as he lifted his long-sleeved black shirt over his head. Sasuke watched him turn towards their bathroom before shifting on the bed, already prepared for sleep.

"A pregnant male is too dangerous, I could knock a shelf over with my fat belly." Sasuke answered sarcastically. He pulled down the sheets and settled into a comfortable position, facing the bathroom so he could watch the blonde pull off his pants and boxers before starting to brush his teeth, completely naked. When Naruto finished, he walked out grinning because he knew Sasuke was admiring him and went to their closet, pulling on a shirt and a pair of boxers. It was a new pair, the waistband fully intact and completely unwearable for the Uchiha.

"Teme," The blonde chided tenderly. "You're five months pregnant, not fat." Naruto lowered his gaze to Sasuke's rounded middle and his grin widened.

"Would you rather say it's because I deserted the village for three years and was forcibly brought back?" The Uchiha questioned. Naruto raised his eyebrows at him and Sasuke raised an eyebrow right back. Bringing the fact into the conversation purposefully rather than letting it go was because he wasn't ashamed and his partner didn't need to skirt around it. He was pregnant, not unable to face the consequences of his mistakes. The blonde went to turn out the lights and walked around to his side of the bed and got in, shifting closer as he pulled the sheets up to their shoulders.

"No, I'd prefer if it you just said you were pregnant." Naruto answered. He slipped one of his hands under a pillow and one over the Uchiha's waist to pull him closer. "Rather than fat, 'cause you're not."

"Do you know if the Hokage is going to do anything more about the elders?" Sasuke asked, changing the topic quickly. He shifted into a comfortable position and pulled his extra pillow between his legs as the blonde repositioned accordingly.

"She's planning on meeting with the Daimyo but the elders have had him in their pockets for years, it's why they've remained in their positions for so long." Naruto rolled his eyes. "Essentially they're going to get a slap on their wrists and won't be able to try it again."

"Hn." Sasuke murmured. The blonde shrugged his shoulders and scooted closer, his lips brushed the tip of his nose before moving lower to kiss the pregnant male's chin. "Usuratonkachi." He raised his hand to the blonde's face and bit down on a lower lip in warning. Naruto started to laugh in response and pressed himself closer to his bed partner. A fluttering feeling started in his stomach and the Uchiha inhaled softly, he reached for the blonde's hand and pulled up his shirt.

"Teme, what are you, doing?" Naruto's voice trailed off as Sasuke pressed a tan hand to his abdomen and moved it over where the feeling of movement was growing stronger. "Oh." The blonde whispered. "Oh shit, is that? Is that the baby?" Sasuke nodded, not lifting his eyes from where Naruto's hand touched his stomach. The tan hand started to move across his skin and the Uchiha finally looked up, Naruto's expression was one of wonder as the baby's kicking stopped. When the tan hand finally pulled away, Sasuke could feel himself blushing and felt a sudden pressure on his bladder that had to have been the baby's doing.

"Now I have to pee, idiot." He tried to sound grumpy but Naruto just laughed.

* * *

**October first, the twenty-first week,**

"Dobe." Sasuke groaned. He tightened his grip on the bathroom sink and spread his legs farther apart to give Naruto more access to his lower body. The blonde hummed around the Uchiha's erection, not even flinching when the dark haired male jerked his hips forward in response. "Naruto, don't." He reached for Naruto's hair, trying to tug him off his length but the blonde just took him to the root in response. Sasuke came with a shudder, his fingers grasping blonde hair tightly as Naruto's nose pressed into his groin. He twitched and shuddered as Naruto's continued to suck him, swallowing his cum. When the blonde finally let the Uchiha's softening erection fall from his mouth, Sasuke sighed in relief, loosening his grip on blonde hair.

"You taste good." The blonde murmured with a grin. He lifted his head and pressed his lips to Sasuke's abdomen, his hands holding the Uchiha's hips as he started to place kisses along his stomach.

"You're obsessed." Sasuke frowned. He had thought the blonde had been infatuated with his baby bump before he'd left for Suna but now Naruto couldn't seem to go more than ten minutes without touching his stomach. The blonde looked up from the Uchiha's baby bump with a grin and finally pulled away to stand up. Sasuke watched him, admiring the way Naruto's muscles flexed under his tan skin and took notice of the bulge in his boxers. Turning around, the Uchiha looked into their mirror as he reached for a small towel and watched the blonde grab his toothbrush.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Naruto asked. He spread toothpaste onto the bristles and slipped the head of the toothbrush into his mouth. "Ish shexy." The blonde grinned, the toothpaste already starting to foam and Sasuke shook his head at him, slipping the towel under warm water before gazing at his naked reflection. His baby bump was slowly getting bigger and the marks he had noticed a few weeks ago had grown along with it.

"So is acne." Sasuke responded sarcastically. The Uchiha tilted his head upward, showing the blonde the pimple that had showed up practically overnight on his chin. The reason he had gotten out of bed was to take his prenatal pills and put ointment on the damn thing and that was where his lover had cornered him. Naruto grinned as Sasuke wrapped the wet towel around his length, cleaning himself. Leaning forward, Naruto spat out the foamy toothpaste and started to clean his toothbrush under the running water.

"Only on you." Naruto breathed as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Sasuke glanced over to him, dropping the wet towel on a growing pile of dirty laundry that they had yet to touch that week. He turned his body, surveying his profile and the extent of the vein like marks. "What are you looking at?"

"Stretch marks." Sasuke replied. He looked over to the blonde, watching as apprehension started form in his chest. The fear that Naruto would find his body unattractive flushed out his afterglow quickly. Watching the blonde focus curiously on his abdomen, he felt his chest tighten as tan hands reach out to him.

"I don't see anything." The blonde brushed his fingers against Sasuke's skin, feeling for what the Uchiha was seeing. "Teme, I think you're overreacting." Naruto was smiled and set both of his hands on Sasuke's abdomen as the pregnant male felt his face heat up. The feeling in his chest was quickly replaced with embarrassment as he looked down to his stomach again.

"I'm not." Sasuke retorted quickly. He could see himself blushing in the bathroom mirror as he swatted the blonde's hands away. Naruto continued to grin as the naked Uchiha left their bathroom, leaning against the counter as he appreciated the view. "Iruka's going back to the academy today." Sasuke called out as he looked away from his lover. The blonde took the obvious change in subject in stride, stepping out of the bathroom to watch Sasuke pull on a pair of boxers. Sasuke watched Naruto smile when he realized that they were his, altered with several cuts in the waistband.

"Sakura's packed and ready to move into her new apartment too, I'm going to lend her some clones while we're out." Naruto added. The Uchiha pulled on pants as the blonde wrestled with his traditional black shirt before he started a search for his pants. Sasuke picked out a dark blue sweater, knowing the weather was getting colder and was glad once again that Sakura had forced him to go clothes shopping.

"Hn." Sasuke responded. He tugged at his sweater as the blonde hopped into his trademark orange pants. "It's getting colder." The Uchiha watched Naruto button his pants and reach for his forehead protector even though he wasn't going out for a mission.

"We still have a few weeks before I need to bust out my winter clothes." Naruto grabbed his orange and black jacket, slipping into it with practiced ease. "You look good in yours though." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blonde in warning as Naruto zipped his jacket up and grinned back.

"Come on." The Uchiha told the blonde as he left their bedroom. Naruto obediently followed him to the entryway of their house and dutifully pulled on his shoes. "What are we doing for breakfast?" Sasuke asked quietly. The blonde just shrugged his shoulders and opened the door for the dark haired male, patting the Uchiha's ass as he walked out. Instead of calling out the blonde's name in surprise or yelling at the idiot for the sexual harassment, Sasuke turned his head to glare at him.

"Don't even think about touching my stomach today." He told Naruto seriously. The blonde opened his mouth to protest but was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. They both looked across the street and watched Sakura walk out, suitcase in hand.

"Hey guys, where are you two off to so early?" Sakura called out to them. Sasuke raised his hands in a mock wave to her as he stepped off their porch, Naruto shutting the front door and following after him. Sakura set the suitcase down and watched them come closer.

"Gotta sign up for parenting classes, we're gonna look for places that sell diapers and formula," Naruto's hand reached for Sasuke's stomach and the Uchiha quickly slapped it away. "Ow!" The blonde cried out. He frowned at Sasuke but the dark haired man ignored him. Sakura raised one eyebrow quizzically and looked between the two men.

"What'd he do this time?" The pink haired woman asked the Uchiha. Naruto made an indignant noise; Sasuke glanced over to him pointedly and watched the blonde cross his arms over his chest.

"I slapped his ass." Naruto muttered sullenly as he pouted. "That doesn't justify being forbidden to touch you all day." Sasuke didn't respond to the blonde's complaints and listened to Sakura laugh softly as she looked between the two men.

"Have you guys had breakfast yet?" The pink haired woman set her hands on her hips as she nodded back to the house she had been living in the weeks previous. "Apricot's finally mastered the art of the timer on the oven. She," Sakura raised her hand to make air quotations. "Baked the dough Iruka made."

"She made bread and didn't burn it?" Naruto grinned when Sakura nodded. "I gotta see this." The blonde passed their old teammate and stepped into the house. Sasuke followed him, walking with Sakura as his eyes lingered on her suitcase.

"It's awkward living with them," Sakura told him. "Not only were they my mentors but Iruka-sensei is loud." Sasuke cringed and Sakura laughed at his expression.

"I didn't need to know that." The Uchiha muttered. They stepped into the aroma of baked bread and Sasuke felt a pang of hunger hit his stomach. Apricot and Naruto were both sitting in the kitchen, Naruto biting into a slice of bread and the girl watched him nervously.

"It isn't bad." Naruto told Sasuke when he saw him. "Here, try some." The blonde held out a half eaten piece to him and he took it. It tasted fine and the Uchiha ate the piece and accepted another slice that the blonde gave him. Apricot grinned ecstatically when he took the second piece and continued to smile even after he sent her a pointed stare. Sakura tilted her head up when the ceiling started to creak and Sasuke listened to the sounds of someone coming down the stairs.

"Good morning everyone." Iruka called out as he entered the kitchen. Sasuke nodded to the teacher as he leaned past them to grab a slice of bread. "Thank you for making the bread, Apricot." Kyoko ducked her head down as she started to blush. Iruka had on his flak jacket, obviously excited about going back to the academy and looked back to the stairs where Kakashi was coming down. The man was barefoot, in a pair of boxers, a black undershirt and his facemask that seemed to be on inside out.

"We need to start locking the door." Kakashi muttered to no one in particular as he leaned over and snatched a few pieces of the still warm bread. Iruka rolled his eyes and Naruto chuckled as the white haired man turned and went back upstairs.

"He's just upset Iruka-sensei has to go back to work." Naruto winked at his old teacher and watched the dark skinned male start to choke on his bread. "Especially since Sakura's moving out today." Apricot giggled and Iruka turned, raising his hand to his mouth as he tried to cough away his blush.

"Stop teasing him." Sasuke ordered as he reached for another piece of bread from the quickly diminishing pile. "Let's go." The Uchiha stood up and nodded to the redheaded girl in silent thanks for the food.

"Hang on, Naruto promised me he would help me move all my stuff out." Sakura stepped in front of Sasuke to keep him from leaving but Naruto was already raising his hands in the hand signs.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu." The blonde called out. Three poofs of cloud smoke rose around him as three replicas of Naruto came into existence. "I didn't forget." One of the clones stuck his tongue out at his old teammate as the original blonde reached for the remaining slices of bread and stuffed one into his mouth. Smiling, the pink haired ninja moved out of the doorway and set her hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Thanks, Naruto. You two have fun, enjoy your day off." Sakura told them. Nodding to her, the Uchiha stepped forward and let the pink haired woman turn her attention to the blonde's clones.

"Will do, Sakura!" Naruto called out as he turned to follow the Uchiha out of the house. The blonde tentatively slipped his hand into Sasuke's and smiled when the dark haired male glanced over to him in warning. "I'm not allowed to touch your belly." He raised their hands and smiled pleasantly as they made their way to the front entrance of the compound. "You didn't say anything about holding your hand." The barrier had been dropped for a week now and not a single assassin had attempted to kill them, no one had ventured in, not even kids who were messing around. It was almost relieving to know that not everyone in the village was out to get them. Naruto stuffed the last of his bread into his mouth but didn't let go of Sasuke's hand and he opened the front gate, closing it quietly behind them. It was still early in the morning, only a few people were up and about and none of them paid the two any real attention.

"Where to first?" Sasuke asked. He glanced over to his lover as the blonde contemplated the question.

"We should probably sign up for classes first, I'm not sure if all the stores are open yet." Naruto answered. Sasuke stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants as he caught the stare of an older woman on him. He glared at her until she looked away before turning his attention back to Naruto.

"Hn." The Uchiha replied softly.

"Naruto!" A shrill cry pierced the morning quiet and both men paused to look around for the blonde haired girl. "Sasuke!" Ino called out to them again. Sasuke saw a hand rise up and nudged the blonde to get him to look in the same direction he was. Ino's smile brightened when she knew they saw her down the street and she looked behind her, her long hair whipping around wildly. Behind Ino were several people, Shikamaru, Hinata, Shino, Chouji, and Kiba, all coming towards them. Sasuke immediately remembered months ago when they were at Ichiraku's and people had come to congratulate him on his reinstatement as a genin.

"Hey guys, what are you all doing together?" Naruto called out. They started walking towards each other, Ino jogging with her eyes trained on the Uchiha.

"So it's true. You are pregnant!" She exclaimed loudly. Strangers on the street looked to their forming group in surprise and Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blonde woman.

"Told you." Shikamaru sighed loudly as they slowly followed Ino. "Hinata and I found out during the chuunin exam debacle." Almost everyone's gaze turned to Hinata whose face lit up in a bright red flush.

"And you didn't tell me?" Ino cried out incredulously. "Just because you work so close to the Hokage doesn't mean you get to keep secrets from me, Shikamaru! Especially if they're about Sasuke!" Sasuke frowned at the girl but she was intently glaring at the lazy genius.

"Hokage-sama told us to keep it a secret from everyone," The Hyuuga spoke up softly. "And we wanted to protect Sasuke." Hinata met the Uchiha's gaze and he nodded to her. Ino huffed loudly, crossed her arms over her chest and looked the Uchiha's body over again.

"Where are you guys off to?" Naruto asked in attempt to change the subject. His stiff body posture was more than enough evidence that the angry woman was making him uncomfortable.

"Just got off perimeter duty," Chouji replied. "We were on our way to get some breakfast, want to come?" The heavier male stuck his hands in his pockets out of habit, looking for a bag of chips he normally had stowed away.

"Can't, we're on our way to the hospital to sign up for baby classes and then we have to do some shopping." Naruto smiled as he shook his head and Sasuke almost unconsciously started to shift his weight in embarrassment. He looked to the group of their peers with more nervousness than he would ever admit. Shikamaru, Shino, and Chouji didn't seem affected at all by the knowledge, Hinata and Ino smiled good-naturedly while Kiba had cocked an eyebrow up and was smirking at Naruto.

"What classes are you planning on taking?" Ino asked. She glanced down to Sasuke's stomach curiously and bit her lower lip, probably wanting to touch but knew better than to just do it.

"The parenting class. Maybe one or two other classes but they focus on the actual childbirth." Sasuke explained. He ignored the looks she kept giving his baby bump, he wasn't in the mood to deal with her.

"Which isn't possible." Ino nodded in understanding. "How are you going to give birth?" Her fingers twitched but she didn't make any move towards his baby bump and Sasuke shifted his weight under her scrutiny.

"A Cesarean most likely, he doesn't have a birthing canal." Kiba grinned. The Uchiha glared at the dog lover and could see Hinata's face heat up again. Ino turned on Kiba and swatted at him with an open palm as Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "Hey!" The dog lover cried out. He raised his arm to protect himself and gave the blonde woman an accusatory stare. "There's no other way, I'm just saying." Kiba huffed and stepped away from the violent woman.

"It's none of your business, Kiba." Naruto stuck his tongue out at his friend and placed his arm over Sasuke's shoulders. Sasuke glanced to the silent members of the group, Shino and Chouji looked content to wait and Hinata was obviously embarrassed, her gaze averted to her vocal teammate.

"Can I touch your belly?" Ino asked suddenly. The Uchiha opened his mouth to refuse her but his idiot beat him to it.

"No." Naruto interrupted. "If I'm forbidden from touching his stomach today, so is everyone else." Ino frowned at the two of them but Sasuke just crossed his arms over his chest, accentuating the plumpness of his abdomen.

"What did you do this time?" Kiba asked. Naruto quietly raised his hand, all but his middle finger bent as he flipped the dog lover off. Shikamaru snorted and calmly stared back at Kiba when the man looked over with a glare.

"Um, I didn't get a change to say this before but, congratulations." Hinata spoke up softly. She gave Sasuke a small smile and the Uchiha nodded to her in return.

"Yeah, yeah. Congratulations on getting Sasuke pregnant." Kiba rolled his eyes. Naruto kicked his foot out at him and this time it was the dog lover who stuck his tongue out at him.

"Do you know if it's a boy or girl yet?" Ino asked blatantly. Sasuke found himself frowning as he glanced to the girl who was still looking at his lower body.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed loudly. Naruto's arm around his shoulders tightened and Sasuke leaned into his lover just a fraction more, knowing the group would be aware of the subtle movement.

"We don't." Sasuke responded tersely. He glared at the longhaired woman and Ino just frowned at him before turning to the other woman in the group.

"Hinata, use your Byakugan and see what the baby's gender is." She ordered. The Hyuuga's jaw dropped in surprise and her blush disappeared, leaving her face pale. Hinata and Ino both looked to Sasuke and the Uchiha watched as the Hyuuga glanced to Naruto helplessly.

"We don't want to know." Sasuke glared at her harshly. He saw Hinata look back to him gratefully and watched her nod with a grateful smile.

"Why not?" Ino asked. She looked between Sasuke and Naruto with an uncomprehending stare. "Why wouldn't you want to know?"

"It doesn't matter what gender the baby is." Naruto told her. "We're still going to love him or her either way." Ino gaped at the blonde and Sasuke glanced over to him, their eyes meeting as Naruto nodded to him resolutely.

"I don't know what to look for." Hinata spoke up when Ino opened her mouth again to retort. "I wouldn't be able to tell you the gender even if you wanted me too." Sasuke looked away from his blonde to give the dark haired girl a smile of his own. He could see Kiba's eyes widen and Shino shifted under his jacket in response and he couldn't stop from morphing his smile into a smirk as he looked between Hinata's teammates.

"It's their kid, Ino. Lighten up." Shikamaru muttered. The woman whipped her head back to the lazy genius, scowling at him and the hand around Sasuke's shoulders tightened again. He inhaled deeply when the feeling of the baby moving hit him; it had gone from a popping feeling to more of a tingling sensation that moved over the weeks. He dropped his crossed arms and set one on his stomach, the feeling growing stronger.

"Hinata," Sasuke called out to the pale-eyed woman. He motioned for her to come close, reaching for her hand to hold it against his abdomen. She blinked in confusion, wondering what the Uchiha was doing.

"Hey, why does she get to touch your stomach?" Ino huffed indignantly. Sasuke shot her a cold stare and she had the decency to look away, chastised. Naruto looked down to where Sasuke was holding the Hyuuga's hand and stuffed his hands in his pockets with a content smile.

"Oh, the baby is moving." Hinata murmured. Sasuke nodded and tried not to shift his weight as the sensation started to fade. The dark haired girl dropped her hand and stepped back, a light blush dusting her cheeks as she nodded her head in thanks.

"Shikamaru, did you want to feel too?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"No." Shikamaru answered pointedly. "I want to get breakfast." Sasuke blinked at him as he let his hands fall to his sides.

"I'm starving." Chouji added. Sasuke watched Shino nod his head and then looked to Ino who had moved off to the side and was sulking.

"Yeah, we'll catch you later guys." Kiba moved past Sasuke and Naruto, patting the blonde's shoulder. Naruto waved as the group moved past him and only gave Ino a glance as she strut past him. The blonde pulled his hands from his pocket and immediately grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled him down the street.

"Bye guys!" Naruto called out as he walked, not bothering to look back. Sasuke let his lover lead him around a street corner and then pulled him back. He saw the blonde's expression and knew Naruto was angry as they started to walk side by side again.

"She's such a bitch." Naruto growled under his breath. Sasuke agreed with him but only squeezed his hand in response. "Can you believe she wanted Hinata to see what the gender our baby is?" He asked incredulously. Some civilians watched them as they passed, most of them staring at Sasuke's stomach. The Uchiha ignored them.

"I'll mention it to Sakura." He murmured quietly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the blonde look over to him.

"No, I'll talk to Ino about it." Naruto raised their hands and kissed the back of Sasuke's palm. "Sakura's her friend, not her keeper." Sasuke nodded and forced their hands back down between them. They settled into silence until they reached the hospital and went straight to the front desk. An older woman in a nurse's uniform was there, head lifting from the desk when they stopped in front of it. Brunette and brown eyes, she had crow's feet in the corners of her eyes and a few wrinkles that gave away her age.

"Good morning, are you looking for Sakura?" She smiled and looked between them as Naruto shook his head. Sasuke slipped his hand into his pocket and was glad the front desk was too high for her to see his stomach.

"Actually we were looking to sign up for some parenting and baby classes." The blonde smiled back at her as he leaned on the counter. Sasuke watched her glance to him and cocked her head slightly to the side.

"Of course, congratulations." She told them. Her smile widened when Sasuke looked away in embarrassment. "There are a few different classes we offer, have you had a chance to look at any of our pamphlets?" The woman asked.

"You have pamphlets?" Naruto questioned in response. She nodded as she opened a drawer of the desk and pulled outa handful of pamphlets of different colors. "Ooh, look at these, Sasuke." He took the pamphlets and gave them cursory looks before handing half of them to the Uchiha with a teasing smile.

"Dobe." Sasuke muttered. The urge to kick the blonde was strong but he restrained himself and turned his attention to the sheets of folded paper. "What classes would you recommend?" He asked tentatively. Glancing up from the pamphlets, he blinked in surprise when he saw the nurse looking at Naruto with a nostalgic gaze. She quickly realized that he had asked her a question and changed her expression as she turned to him.

"We have a few parenting classes, Baby Basics and Parent Training." She informed them with a kind smile. She reached up and pointed to one of the pamphlets that Sasuke held and looked to Naruto to see if he was paying attention. "There are also Lamaze classes, those focus on the actual childbirth which I don't think you two would need and there's also Bradley Method classes that also focus on natural childbirth but they also teach exercise and diet which you might find helpful."

"Oh, okay." Naruto nodded in understanding as he leaned over Sasuke to see the pamphlet. He bit his lower lip as he tried to keep up with what the nurse was saying and Sasuke had to hold back his smirk.

"Right here," The woman continued. She turned to tap the pamphlets in the blonde's hands. "You've got a guide for baby product safety and a pamphlet for sleep training, you're going to want to read that one and have questions ready when you go over it in the Baby Basics class." Sasuke watched the blonde look to his own hands and blinked, still trying to comprehend what she was saying.

"Do you have any more information on the Parent Training and Baby Basics classes?" Sasuke asked. The nurse nodded and pulled two brochures from a rack on the side of her desk.

"The Parent Training is a six week course that covers everything you should be doing as a parent from infancy to young adulthood. Baby Basics focuses more on how to properly take care of your child from the first day out of the hospital and tends to run about three to four weeks, depending on how fast the instructor goes through the material." She handed the brochures to Sasuke; having realized the blonde was a little lost. "There are a few discount and installment payment options available that you can look at in the brochures as well. Do you have any other questions I can answer?" The nurse sat back in her chair and smiled at the two of them expectantly.

"Um?" Naruto paused. He looked through the pamphlets in his hands and then looked to the Uchiha with wide eyes, not knowing what to say.

"When does the Baby Basics class start?" Sasuke asked.

"Let me see here," The nurse straightened in her chair and picked up a pencil. She flipped through some paperwork on her desk and Naruto glanced over to the Uchiha again and eyed the handful of pamphlets and brochures, probably feeling suddenly overwhelmed. "It looks like the class starts back up again later this month, on the fifteenth. Shall I sign both of you up?" Sasuke glanced to the blonde and watched him grin hesitantly. Realization was sinking in again, five months had already flown by but here they were, going to have a baby together. He reached for Naruto's hand and gave it a squeeze, knowing exactly what he was feeling.


	28. Birthday Wish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm totally aware that Ichiraku's, the one from the show/manga, seats only 6 but it's my story and I do what I want.

**October tenth, the twenty-second week,**

Sasuke had woken up knowing what day it was. They had gone to bed talking about who all was going to Ichiraku's to celebrate as the blonde pressed kisses against his neck and shoulder. What roused him from sleep was a feeling of someone lifting his leg and he shifted, not wanting to wake up just yet. Naruto had said he didn't want breakfast in bed and he wasn't going to get up early for nothing. Sasuke was drifting pleasantly in and out of sleep as something brushed against his backside but he ignored it. The blonde could wake him up any way he wanted; it was his birthday after all.

He must have slipped into a deeper sleep because the next thing he was aware of was one of his ass cheeks being held up as a hand stroked his length into fullness. Sasuke tried to roll onto his back to push Naruto away and felt something wet press against his hole. Jerking awake, the Uchiha lifted his head and looked down to see blonde hair in front of his ass.

"Dobe!" He hissed. Naruto flicked his tongue upward in response, lapping at his twitching muscles. Reaching down, Sasuke pulled at blonde hair but Naruto swatted his hand away and continued his ministrations. The tongue slipped past his muscles easily, wiggling it's way deeper inside of him. Sasuke tried to pry the blonde's hand off of his growing erection but Naruto tightened his grip, refusing to let go until the Uchiha took his hand away. The blonde pressed his mouth against his entrance, letting out a reverberating moan and made the dark haired male stiffen.

Feeling Sasuke's response, Naruto did it again while he retracted his tongue and licked at the loosening muscles. Sasuke grasped the sheets of the bed and turned his head away from the blonde as he tried to contain his shudder. The hand cupped his balls gently before skimming his fingertips on the underside of the Uchiha's length. He groaned in response, shifting his body further onto his side, into the hand and away from Naruto's tongue. Grunting, the blonde followed him and pressed his face further into Sasuke's backside. He could feel Naruto's tongue press into him again, his lips moving against his slickened muscles and-

"Naruto!" Sasuke gasped. The blonde was sucking him down there! Naruto hummed a wordless response as he gripped the base of Sasuke's now full erection tightly. He groaned, wanting to rock his hips but unsure of which direction. The hand on his length started to move, fisting him slowly with a firm grip and Sasuke lifted his top leg to his chest to give Naruto more room. It took him a few seconds to find a comfortable position, his calf pressing against his abdomen awkwardly.

The blonde started to thrust his tongue past Sasuke's entrance and to the Uchiha's surprise, pressed a finger in with his tongue. He moaned and closed his eyes, Naruto's finger had pressed immediately into his prostrate. Naruto continued to rub against the sensitive spot as his other hand moved to the head of Sasuke's erection. Sasuke could feel his orgasm building quickly from the double stimulation and he let out a long groan.

A second finger pressed against his entrance before slipping in with his tongue and Sasuke pushed his hips into the touch. It sent spikes of pleasure up his spine and straight to his erection. Naruto's fingers slipped over the head of his length, spreading the pre-cum he found there. Sasuke lifted his leg up as the blonde continued to lick at his backside, his fingers rubbing against his prostrate relentlessly. He could feel his pleasure mounting and knew he wasn't far from his climax. The Uchiha opened his mouth to tell Naruto he was close and let out a surprised grunt instead. Naruto sucked on his ring of muscles and then gently bit down on the wet, wrinkled skin. He hadn't expected this to feel so good but it wasn't going to take much more for him to reach his limit.

Releasing the sheets, Sasuke reached down to Naruto's head and tugged on his hair in warning, not trusting himself to get the words out. The blonde tilted his head upwards just enough for a nod as tongue pressed into him again. He jerked when the blonde's fingers parted, stretching his muscles in an almost painfully pleasurable way. The hand on his erection squeezed tightly, snapping the last cord of control the dark haired male had.

"Hng!" Sasuke cried out. His legs twitched as he tried to remain still and moaned as the hand on his length started to move again. Ejaculating onto the bed sheets, the Uchiha squeezed his eyes shut as he focused on the blonde's tongue and fingers inside him. Endless seconds later, Sasuke was spent and Naruto reluctantly let go of his softening sex as he pulled his fingers and tongue from his lover's backside.

"Good morning." Naruto finally spoke up. Sasuke could feel the grin emanating from the blonde as he moved back up on the bed and the dark haired male dropped his leg down. The blonde's hand went straight to his abdomen and the Uchiha tolerated it, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Happy birthday, idiot." Sasuke muttered. He shifted his hips as his body tried to compensate for the sudden loss of the blonde's fingers. He wanted more. Naruto let him move, patiently waiting for the pregnant male to settle down before they continued the conversation.

"Is it my birthday?" Naruto asked jokingly. His hand moved in slow rhythmic circles over Sasuke's skin and pressed his lips against a pale neck gently.

"It's the only reason I let you get away with that." Sasuke responded petulantly. He shivered at the warmth of Naruto's body against his sweat slicked back and anticipation surged through him. Naruto's own arousal, even covered, was pressed against his backside and his body automatically started to respond to it, his own length twitching back to life.

"You liked it." The blonde grinned against his shoulder. Sasuke set his own hand on his baby bump, continuing to let the blonde's fingers roam over his cooling skin. He shifted again, feeling Naruto press his face into the Uchiha's hair and inhaled deeply.

"Don't think I'm going to let you do it again." Sasuke replied. He lowered his hand over his hip and reached for Naruto's half hard erection. To his surprise, Naruto moved away the moment his fingers brushed against him.

"No, it's okay." Naruto mumbled into the back of the Uchiha's head. "I can wait until tonight." He lifted his body up and moved over Sasuke to lie facing him, grinning mischievously.

"Dobe." The Uchiha raised an eyebrow at him but didn't try to persuade him otherwise. He wasn't too worried about since he could see the blonde's erection when he glanced down and smirked as he let his gaze wander up Naruto's body. "It's still there." The blonde blinked in confusion, wondering what his pregnant lover was talking about. "The hickey I gave you last night." Sasuke pointed to the dark mark on the blonde's neck as he sat up, crossing his legs.

"Is it?" Naruto raised his hand to the place the Uchiha was pointing to and scratched at it absentmindedly. "I got a lot of practice at suppressing Kyuubi's chakra in Suna, think that's why?" The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders, placed a hand on his baby bump and looked at what he could see of his seal.

"Anything else you want to do before we get out of bed?" He asked in mock absent-mindedness. The blonde could clearly see his returning arousal and the dark haired male didn't bother trying to hide it. Naruto looked at him contemplatively for a second and then shook his head with a relaxed smile.

"I want to kiss you but I know you won't let me considering where my mouth has been, not even on my birthday." The blonde dropped his head onto the pillow and regarded Sasuke thoughtfully, gaze roving across his upper body. Growing nervous under the scrutiny, Sasuke looked away and when he still couldn't ignore his embarrassment he moved to the edge of the bed and stood up.

"Brush your teeth." Sasuke called back to him. He knew Naruto was watching him walk to the bathroom and let his hips sway a little more than normal, giving the blonde a good view. Stepping into the bathroom, he inhaled deeply and refused to look at himself in the mirror. After a few more days of looking at himself, he knew Naruto was right; the veiny lines on his sides weren't stretch marks. They had darkened from a fleshy pink to dark reds and an almost purple color so they obviously were something else.

Sasuke could hear the blonde get out of bed and he busied himself with the nearly empty container or salve Sakura had given him for acne. His acne had all but disappeared but it was the first thing that he saw on the counter and had grabbed it. Naruto shuffled in, still in his boxers and immediately reached for his toothbrush as Sasuke set the container back down. Naruto grinned again as he went about brushing his teeth and Sasuke grabbed a towel to clean himself off.

"I vas shinking," Naruto started to talk with the toothbrush in his mouth. The Uchiha raised an eyebrow at him before turning his attention to his flaccid length. Knowing not to say anything else with his toothbrush on his mouth, Naruto waited until he spit out the toothpaste. "I was thinking that we could have a furniture sale or something. We don't need all the furniture we stuck in the police station and the money could be used for baby stuff." Sasuke shook his head as he tossed his towel in the small basket they'd commandeered the day before.

"We'd have to move it all to the entrance of the compound," He responded. Grabbing his own toothbrush, he reached over the sink for the toothpaste. "Organize it, price every item, set a date and time for the sale, and how we're going to let the villagers know we're doing it." Sasuke continued. Naruto looked over to him through the mirror, smiling as the dark haired male stuck his toothbrush into his mouth.

"That's what clones are for." The blonde reached down to scratch at his groin with a shrug of his shoulders. "Maybe set a date a few weeks from now and tell our friends to spread the word, I think it would work." Sasuke looked up and their eyes met through the mirror. He nodded his approval and leaned over the sink to spit the toothpaste out.

"You'll be doing all the work." The Uchiha told him when he raised his head again.

"You know I don't mind." Naruto responded with a smile. Leaning over, the blonde kissed Sasuke's cheek and firmly grabbed his ass. The dark haired male allowed it, only giving Naruto a cold glare as he walked out of the bathroom. "I've got perimeter duty today, what are your plans?" He grinned and followed Sasuke out to the closet to find some clothes.

"We'll continue working on the compound if the Hokage can't find something for Apricot to do." Sasuke answered. He pulled out one of his favored black sweaters and tossed it on the bed as he looked through a pile of clothes for underwear and pants.

"Just don't push yourself." Naruto muttered as he tried to pull on both his underwear and pants up on one leg at the same time. "You've already gotten most of it done already."

"Hn." Sasuke answered noncommittally. He slipped on his underwear before stepping into one of his newer pairs of sweatpants. The blonde frowned as he picked up a shirt and pulled his head through the collar of it.

"Sasuke, please? It's my birthday." Naruto whined as he followed the dark haired male around their bedroom. The blonde wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist when he leaned down and reached for his sweater. He gently held him as Sasuke straightened and pressed in close to softly kiss a pale ear.

"I won't." The Uchiha acquiesced with a roll of his eyes, ignoring the way his body shivered expectantly.

* * *

"Alright, let's see what you can do with that eye technique of yours." Sakura smiled reassuringly. Apricot nodded and moved herself to the edge of her chair as Sasuke dropped his crossed arms and straightened in front of them. The Hokage hadn't given Apricot a mission for the day, which meant Sasuke had the day off while Naruto had perimeter duty. So after a long morning, they had finished recording the layouts of the last block of houses in the compound. This of course, meant that now all the Uchiha had to do was work out the legalese of leasing. What the leasers were responsible for in managing the property, how much rent would be, when rent was due, how long a lease would last and probably another dozen things he hadn't yet thought of. The thought of all that was nearly overwhelming and so he had taken the redhead to the hospital so Sakura could assess her skills.

Inhaling deeply, Apricot closed her eyes for a brief moment and then opened them. Like before the first part of the chuunin exam, the girl stared at him. Her gaze lingered at his stomach, seeing the accumulation of chakra there before looking up. She blinked rapidly and met Sasuke's uninterested stare. "His pathways are healthy, lots of chakra flowing to the baby. Um, there's a build up around his shoulders, from tension and feet because of the blood flow, I think."

"She's right." The Uchiha sighed. He watched Apricot smile happily and rock on the balls of her feet as he sat down on the patient table and brought his feet up to keep them elevated. "We got a lot done today, I'm tired." Sakura nodded in understanding and smiled at the younger girl.

"So you can see where the chakra cumulates in the body, not necessarily where it's flowing from or going to?" The older woman asked. Apricot nodded and bit her lip, glancing to Sasuke cautiously. "How did you develop and use this technique when you were living with the toads?"

"I, um, helped mothers birth their tadpoles." She raised her hand up to her braid and ran her fingers down her spiked strap that she apparently wore every time she left the compound. "And helped find tumors, the ones that don't grow and the ones that did grow."

"So you helped with giving birth and healing?" Sakura asked. Kyoko nodded hesitantly and Sakura gave the Uchiha a smile. "Why don't we take you on a round, see some of our patients and figure out how accurate your technique really is." Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, knowing that if she took Apricot around the hospital, he would have to follow.

"If Sasuke's okay with it." The younger girl replied. Sasuke sighed and nodded, watching the redhead stand up and follow Sakura out the door. It was no longer a secret that he was pregnant, everyone in the village had heard about it and more than a few acquaintances and strangers had come up to congratulate him. The civilians that worked with Sakura were the most forward about it, coming up to him in the hospital and asking how he and Naruto had done it or if they could see the seal. He wasn't looking forward to going through it again. Apricot was nervously running her fingers down her braid as they walked down the crowded hallway. Sasuke shifted his gaze regularly between her red hair and Sakura's back, attempting to avoid any eye contact with anyone that would want to start a conversation about his impending parenthood. Sakura led them to another wing of the hospital, more than a few people pressed themselves to the walls and more than one ducked into a room when they saw Kyoko.

"I see you're not wearing your shoes anymore, Apricot. Any particular reason why?" Sakura asked. Sasuke glanced down to the dirt covered feet and then back to his old teammate.

"It's not that cold out yet." Kyoko answered hesitantly. "I can go a few more weeks without needing them, I think." Sakura stared at the redheaded girl for a second before shrugging her shoulders. If Sasuke didn't bother trying to convince her, then Sakura didn't think she had to either.

"Here we are," Sakura walked into a room with an open door and stepped to the side so she could let Apricot walk farther in first. "Let's see what you can do. How are you doing, Sasuke?" The pink haired woman smiled at Sasuke as he stopped next to her.

"I could use a nap." He answered quietly. Sakura raised her hand to hide her smile as she giggled and the Uchiha crossed his arms over his chest, letting them rest on top of his swelling stomach.

"I'll be sure to make this quick then, soon to be mothers need their rest." She set her hands on her hips and moved into the room. Smiling at the nervous patient, she picked up their file from the end of the bed and glanced to Apricot. The girl was standing closer to the wall than the bed, looking anywhere but at the man in the bed.

"Father." Sasuke corrected her. He stepped next to Apricot and nodded to the elderly patient reassuringly as he set a hand on the younger girls shoulder. Kyoko jumped at the touch and looked up to the Uchiha, her hands pulling at the bottom of her shirt and shifting her weight from one bare foot to the other.

"If you say so, daddy." Sakura laughed. She flipped through the file in her hand and ignored Sasuke's snort of contempt as she looked up to address the nervous patient.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Naruto!" Sakura called out. She laughed as Naruto jogged towards her, past the open gate of the compound with Sasuke trailing after him. The blonde grinned cheekily at their pink haired friend and raised his arms up to hug her as the Uchiha pulled the gate door shut behind him. "How are you feeling, Sasuke?" Sakura asked. Naruto pulled out of their hug and smiled at Sasuke, his wide grin putting the Uchiha at ease. He shrugged his shoulders quietly and moved to shut the gate. Apricot had worn his patience thin and having just gotten up from a nap, he still tired and not in the mood to talk.

"He's been complaining about stretch marks." The blonde answered for him. Sasuke turned to face them to find Sakura raising her eyebrows at him.

"Let me see them." The pink haired woman sighed. He stepped forward slowly and lifted his sweater up so she could see the veiny lines on his sides. "These are just varicose abdominal veins, "Sakura brushed her pointer finger over one of the veins and motioned for him to cover his stomach again. "They're enlarged veins close to the surface of your skin. I did tell you there's fifty percent more blood in your body because you're pregnant."

"Hn." Sasuke hummed in response. He shoved the front of his sweater down and stepped away from Sakura. Naruto reached out and pulled the Uchiha closer, wrapping his arm around the dark haired male's waist, which Sasuke allowed. It was getting colder and he was thankful for his partner's warmth.

"They should disappear a few months after you give birth but if they're bothering you, I can add more vitamin C to your diet or you can start elevating your feet every time you sit down." Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at the physical display of affection and moved away from the gate, intent on walking. "It'd be better if you'd do both but I won't be there to force orange juice on you in the morning." She looked back to the two, walking slowly to let them catch up to her.

"I'll remind him every time he sits down." Naruto told her. He leaned into the Uchiha, pressing a kiss to his temple and tightening the grip on his waist. Sakura nodded her head in understanding and Sasuke didn't bother fighting with the two. "Do you know if everyone is coming?" The blonde asked. Sasuke let his eyes wander down the street, watching people look their way. Some just glanced at them and looked away, the sight of the three of them a normal occurrence but there were a few whose gaze lingered long enough to land on his now almost obviously pregnant stomach.

"As far as I know they are." Sakura told him. "Even Shikamaru is coming, or so Ino tells me. It's going to be crowded at Ichiraku's." Naruto nodded and they slipped into a comfortable silence. The sun was already setting and shops were in the midst of closing or already closed.

"Let's see if I can handle the smell of ramen cooking." Sasuke murmured softly. Both Naruto and Sakura looked over to him as he spoke.

"I think you'll be fine. You haven't had a bout of nausea in the last few days, or at least you haven't told me about any." The blonde replied. Nodding, the Uchiha raised his hand to his mouth, trying to hide his yawn as they drew closer to the blonde's favorite restaurant.

"Naruto!" Sasuke heard Kiba Inuzuka before he saw him. The dog lover was standing outside of Ichiraku's with Hinata. To his surprise, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Rock Lee, and Neji were there as well. Shino and Tenten were missing but he could probably attribute that to them being on missions. "Happy birthday!" Kiba yelled as they came closer. The rest of the gathered group waited until they were closer before offering their congratulations.

"Rock Lee!" Naruto called out. The blonde pulled the dark haired male aside with an arm over the bushy eye-browed man's shoulder. "Have you been to Suna?"

"I have not," The wide-eyed man answered. "Why do you ask?" Naruto leaned in close as he talked, blatantly trying to be subtle.

"There might be a liaison job open in Suna and I thought you might be interested in looking into it. I know Gaara wants to see how powerful you've gotten." Naruto grinned as Rock Lee's eyes lit up and he pulled away.

"Smooth, dumbass." Sasuke muttered when the blonde returned to his side, grinning cheekily. What the Uchiha found strange was throughout the hugs and pats on the back from his friends, his blonde never moved more than a foot away from Sasuke. Returning his arm around the dark haired male's waist or interlacing their fingers together. The blonde was being surprisingly clingy and everyone quickly picked up on it, offering handshakes and half hugs instead of making him let go of Sasuke.

"Congratulations, you're another year older." Shikamaru said pointedly. He clasped his hand on Naruto's shoulder but he was looking at Sasuke with a frown, as if he was trying to decipher something in his expression. The Uchiha gave him a hard stare, wondering what the lazy genius was thinking.

"Thanks, Shikamaru." Naruto grinned. The Jonin of the group dropped his hand from the blonde's shoulder and stepped back, his gaze lingering on Sasuke long enough to give him that gut feeling that he was missing something important.

"Are we going to eat dinner?" Neji asked. He watched Shikamaru intently as he moved back and Sasuke watched at the Hyuuga male nod to Hinata when their gazes met. Sasuke wasn't the only one who had noticed the lazy genius' mind was turning its gears and he glanced to Naruto with mounting concern.

"Yeah, I'm starving." Chouji added. The man shifted so he could eye Ichiraku's entrance and let out a soft grunt when Ino elbowed him in the stomach.

"Yes! Let us celebrate the birth of our worthy opponent and beloved friend!" Rock Lee cried out. Sasuke could see Sakura roll her eyes at his exuberance and he had to fight down a smile.

"Alright, alright!" Sakura called out. "Let's go eat then." She smiled at both Naruto and Sasuke as she stepped towards the entrance, the group moving along with her. The blonde's grip around his waist tightened again and the Uchiha paused mid-step. He glanced over to Naruto, attempting to decipher the suddenly nervous expression he had.

"What is it?" The dark haired male murmured. Something was bothering the blonde and Naruto met his gaze cautiously.

"I love you." Naruto blurted out. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him as their friends paused at the entrance of Ichiraku's. "I know we talked about this after the Chuunin exams but I want an answer." The blonde turned, facing the Uchiha and went down on one knee.

"He isn't." Kiba muttered. Sasuke wanted to glare at the dog lover but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Naruto, kneeling in front of him. He knew what was coming, had anticipated it happening when they had last talked about it. It happening on the blonde's birthday, in front of their friends, wasn't what he had been expecting.

"You can say no and kick my ass for doing this but," Naruto looked up, a blush forming quickly on his cheeks as their eyes met. "Will you marry me?" His eyes widened, shock flooding his system even though he had realized what was happening seconds before.

"Oh," Hinata gasped softly. The entire group had gone silent, waiting for the Uchiha to respond to Naruto's marriage proposal. Naruto's face was bright red, his baby blue eyes staring at him so intently, Sasuke nearly forgot that he had to actually respond to get the blonde off his knee.

"Yes." Sasuke murmured. He watched as Naruto's expression morphed from anxious nervousness to one of relieved happiness. The blonde stood, leaned forward so quickly that the Uchiha blinked and found that he was being kissed rather enthusiastically. Some of their friends laughed, Sasuke could hear hands clapping as the blonde slipped his arms around his waist and pulled their bodies against each other. Rock Lee was spouting something loudly about youth and love.

"I don't actually have a ring or anything." Naruto explained when he stepped back. He was turning red again, growing more embarrassed as he became aware of the group around him again. Sasuke glared at Sakura and Ino both for a second after watching them scoff behind Naruto's back.

"Doesn't matter." The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders. He watched his blonde light up in a dazzling grin and that was when it really started to sink in. They were really engaged. His stomach fluttered as the baby moved with his rising emotions.

"Great, now lets go eat." Sakura spoke up. She nodded to the Uchiha before stepping into Ichiraku's with Chouji and Rock Lee following her closely. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and led him into the restaurant as the rest of the group came in after them.

"It's his birthday, there's no way Sasuke would say no to him today." Ino said quietly. She was talking to Shikamaru but in the confined space, the Uchiha could hear her halfway across the rows of seats. They were all picking out seats and sitting down as Teuchi moved behind the counter, giving menus to his less frequent patrons. Naruto was sitting in the middle of the bar, Sasuke on his right and Sakura on his left. The rest of the group took their seats on each side and the few who had menus started to browse them.

"Ignore her. She's still upset." Sakura whispered. Sasuke glanced to her and could see the blonde was unabashedly staring at Ino, his expression suddenly stony. "Besides, you know it's not true." The blonde's gaze didn't waver from the female sitting at the end of the bar and the Uchiha's stomach flipped. Reaching over his newly engaged husband-to-be, Sasuke tapped on their pink haired friend's wrist to get her attention.

"At least I know why he said no this morning." Sasuke told her quietly. Sakura turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, immediately curious.

"Said no to what?" Naruto interrupted. He looked between the two in confusion and blinked rapidly as Kiba leaned in over the Uchiha's shoulder to listen in.

"To sex." Sasuke retracted his hand from Sakura's wrist, letting his fingers linger over the back of the blonde's hand briefly. Teuchi was starting to take orders and making some small talk, starting on the far left with Chouji, Shikamaru, and Ino.

"Naruto, you said no to sex?" Kiba grinned salaciously. Sasuke had to stop himself from stiffening or glaring at the dog lover as an arm wrapped around his shoulders. "With your fiancé no less?" The blonde frowned at the questions, turned to tell the male off and realized Kiba was leaning on Sasuke.

"Back off, dog breath." Naruto growled playfully. He shoved Kiba's arm off Sasuke's shoulders and replaced it with his own pointedly. Sasuke watched Teuchi from the corner of his eye, wanting to stop the conversation whenever the man was ready to take their order. It seemed that he and Chouji were having an exciting conversation, both of the men chuckling as Ino and Shikamaru watched with complacent interest.

"Later," Sasuke started. Looking over at the dog lover, he smirked and leaned in as close to Naruto as he could without falling off the barstool. "When we're in bed, he's going to propose again. To see if I'll give him the same answer." The dog lover blinked as what he was saying sunk in and his mouth dropped in surprise. Sakura snorted softly before she broke out into giggles and Sasuke turned his head to smirk at her too.

"I was going to wait until morning." The blonde retorted smugly. Naruto lifted his head and pressed his lips to the Uchiha's temple as Teuchi looked to Sakura to take her order. The blonde dropped his arm from Sasuke's shoulders and they both straightened, one of the dark haired male's hands going to his baby bump.

"I'll take the Miso, please." Sakura told Ichiraku's owner.

"A bowl of beef ramen to start for me." Naruto called out. Teuchi nodded as he continued to write, not even looking up.

"On the house, for your birthday." The older man looked up with a grin.

"Happy birthday, Naruto!" Ayame called out from behind her father, waving to the blonde and then to everyone else sitting at the countertop.

"And his engagement!" Rock Lee cried out. The bushy browed man leaned over the counter, giving Naruto an exuberant grin and two thumbs up. Smiling at the excited man, Naruto glanced back to the shop owner before settling his gaze on the Uchiha. Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke stared back and watched a blush rise on tan, whiskered cheeks.

"Of course, what will you be having, Sasuke?" Teuchi asked. Dragging his gaze away from his lovers' baby blues, the Uchiha blinked and thought about what he was craving.

"Beef, I think." He waited until the man moved on to Kiba next to him before looking back to the blonde and Sakura. The pink haired woman had already turned to her other side and was talking to Ino over an irritated Shikamaru.

"Let me know if you start to feel nauseous." Naruto murmured. Sasuke tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment and gave the blonde a quick, lopsided smile.

"Hey, so how do you like it? Being pregnant I mean." Kiba asked. Turning back to the dog lover, the Uchiha raised an eyebrow at him as Hinata tugged on his jacket to get his attention.

"Kiba, that isn't polite." The Hyuuga started. Kiba shrugged his shoulders and Sasuke waved his hand, not caring what Kiba had to say. He appreciated the fact that Hinata was trying to look out for him but he knew how to handle dog breath.

"I can't train or take any missions over C rank inside the village." Sasuke responded with an even tone. He watched Teuchi finish taking the last order from Rock Lee and moved away from the counter, handing some of the orders to his daughter Ayame, preparing to cook.

"That's what you complain about? Not being able to take more dangerous missions?" The dog lover asked almost incredulously. Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke remained silent because he didn't need to give him an answer.

"He's never been a fan of being cooped up." Shikamaru added. The statement was seemingly innocuous but it hit him as if he'd been punched in the gut. Being holed up in the compound now, in Orochimaru's clutches when he thought he was ready to kill Itachi, in Konoha when he left to join Orochimaru for power. He stiffened in his seat and refused to look up from the spot his gaze had landed on when the lazy genius spoke up. Never been a fan of being cooped up indeed.

"Something we both have in common." Naruto responded smoothly. His tan hand moved to rest on the Uchiha's thigh, squeezing reassuringly. "I don't love him any less for it." When Sasuke looked up, the blonde leaned in and kissed him squarely on the lips. He stiffened automatically but the blonde didn't move to deepen the kiss or pull away and Sasuke relaxed subtly.

"Hey, save it for when you get home you two!" Chouji called out with a laugh. Naruto started to pull away but the pregnant male reached up to the blonde's neck and held him there and raised his other hand to give Chouji the middle finger. He held the kiss for a few more seconds before he finally let his fiancé pull away and ignored the glare from Ino and the chuckling of Kiba next to him.

"So you don't mind any of the other symptoms of being pregnant?" The dog lover returned to his previous question when Sasuke glanced back at him. Naruto leaned back in his seat, waiting for his fiancé to answer.

"Morning sickness and nausea is the worst of it." The Uchiha answered. "I don't enjoy being tired all the time either." Kiba nodded before leaning over the counter, trying to catch Ino's attention.

"You should be taking notes, Ino. For when you get pregnant." The dog lover called out to her. Ino flipped her hair and rolled her eyes, not deeming Kiba's jibes enough for a response.

"Have you two picked out names for the child yet?" Neji asked. The blonde turned his head to the older Hyuuga and raised his hand to scratch the back of his head. Sasuke glanced over to the blonde and watched him expectantly.

"Not yet, we really haven't gotten around to it." Naruto replied with a sheepish grin. Neji nodded his head and seemed more than satisfied with the blonde's answer but Sasuke could see someone whip their head in his peripheral vision.

"They don't even know if it's a boy or girl!" Ino cried out. Sasuke looked to see Chouji and Shikamaru cringe at the high-pitched tone and Naruto winced and his hand tightened again on the Uchiha's thigh.

"Ino!" Sakura stood up from her seat, glaring at her friend who stared back angrily. "What is your problem?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow when Ino's face turned pink and she turned her head, looking chastised.

"You just never quit do you?" Kiba scrutinized the blonde woman as he leaned over the counter. She jerked her head towards him and stuck her tongue out at him and Kiba poked his own tongue out at her.

"Is there something else we can talk about?" Shikamaru grumbled. "Anything else?" Sasuke tilted his head upwards in acknowledgment of the lazy genius' request but couldn't really think of anything to say. He looked up and watched Teuchi go about cooking the ramen, the smell of cooking noodles and meat slowly wafting toward his nostrils. Surprisingly, instead of growing nauseous at the smell, he felt his stomach growl hungrily. It seemed he wasn't going to be sick tonight.

"We're planning on having a sale of the furniture in the compound." Naruto spoke up.

"I thought you guys were going to open up the compound for people to move in?" Kiba raised his eyebrows and looked between Naruto and Sasuke. The Uchiha could see Ayame glance back to them as she worked, he could only think that she was interested in the fact that they were opening up the compound.

"Yeah, but not everyone wants the furniture of the previous owners." Naruto answered. "What would we do with it all anyway?" Sasuke watched smugly when Kiba frowned.

"I think a sale is a great idea! I would be more than honored to help you in your efforts." Rock Lee called out from his seat. Shikamaru snorted softly and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the counter, Sasuke very nearly mimicked him.

"That's okay, Rock Lee. I think I can handle it by myself." The blonde responded. His hand reached for the Uchiha's lap and pulled out one of Sasuke's hands to hold onto.

"Of course, you must prove your youthful self to your future husband!" The bushy browed man gave Naruto two thumbs up as he winked rather obviously at Sasuke and the Uchiha felt his face heat up in embarrassment. Hinata started to giggle softly as the youthful man sat back down and Sasuke kicked Kiba in the shin when he opened his mouth to say something.

"Ow!" The dog lover grunted. "I didn't even say anything!" Kiba glared at the pregnant male.

"You were about to say something that would have deserved it." Sasuke retorted. Naruto chuckled and smiled at the dog lover when the glare turned on him.

"Here we are," Teuchi interrupted before Kiba could say anything. He set bowl after bowl down in front of each of his customers and crossed his arms over his chest happily. "Enjoy everyone!"

"Itadakimasu!" Everyone called out simultaneously and moved to start eating. As the blonde picked up his chopsticks, he glanced over to the Uchiha who was hesitantly picking up his own.

"You feeling okay, Sasuke?" Naruto whispered. Sasuke leaned over tentatively, sniffed at the steaming bowl of ramen and was thankful that his stomach didn't flip at the smell.

"Hn." The Uchiha replied. He picked up his chopsticks and glanced over to the blonde's bowl. With quick reflexes, the dark haired male dipped his chopsticks into the blonde's ramen and pulled out a piece of meat. Surprised, Naruto watched with wide eyes as Sasuke slipped the meat into his mouth.

"Hey!" The blonde cried out indignantly. "That was my piece!" Sasuke raised an eyebrow questioningly as he chewed and watched Naruto frown and look down at his dinner. It only took a second for the blonde's indignation to turn into playfulness, with quick reflexes, Naruto jabbed his chopsticks out for the Uchiha's bowl, intent on stealing a piece of meat that was rightfully his. Just as quickly, the dark haired male moved his hand and knocked the blonde's chopsticks away with his own.

"What do you think you're doing, Usuratonkachi?" The Uchiha asked innocently. He tried to stop himself from grinning but seeing the blonde's frustrated expression made it nearly impossible.

"Come on, Sasuke, it's my birthday!" Naruto pouted. Reaching again for Sasuke's bowl, the blonde's chopsticks were once again slapped away and the blonde's frown deepened.

"So?" Raising an eyebrow, the Uchiha looked at the blonde expectantly. He was just teasing the blonde and reached for Naruto's ramen again, smirking when his own chopsticks were pushed away.

"Knock the mushy stuff off you two, we're trying to eat dinner." Sakura interrupted them with a smile. Sasuke grinned as Naruto huffed indignantly before leaning over and giving the Uchiha a quick peck on the cheek before digging into his meal. Letting his gaze linger on his fiancé a moment longer, the Uchiha watched Naruto noisily slurp noodles into his mouth. He was really going to get married to this idiot and nothing would make him happier. Sasuke's lips quirked upwards into a small smile as he glanced over to the blonde again and found Naruto giddily smiling back at him.


	29. Baby Basics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically, Obito killed Biwako and Taji when Naruto was born but I don't like that at all so I've brought them back  
> Bonus points to One Strange Onion (FFN) for giving me a baby name that I'm using in this chapter!

**October fifteenth, the twenty-third week,**

"Alright, do we have any questions on how to properly swaddle your child?" Biwako, the instructor asked. Baby Basics was held in the maternity ward of the hospital, in a classroom filled with picture of babies throughout the months of pregnancy and informational posters. The first time Sasuke had been here he had found it a little overwhelming but after attending the class a few times, he'd read every poster and knew all the information they held.

Now though, he moved back to his seat, having returned from the bathroom and sat down in front of his baby doll. The thing already swaddled in the blanket Sasuke had been given before he went to the bathroom. Naruto's eye was twitching in frustration as he struggled to hold all edges of the blanket together and keep his doll from moving. With a sigh, Sasuke set his hand on the first fold of the blanket, helping his blonde step by step as the instructor went from table to table.

"So when do you go on maternity leave?" Biwako asked as she stepped up to their table. She was definitely older. Her hair graying at the roots and pulled up into a high ponytail, crows feet at the corners of her eyes and worry lines on her forehead but she had a kind smile. What Sasuke like most about her, and respected her for, was she didn't talk down to him or Naruto when they asked questions and seemed to be genuinely concerned with teaching them, rather than who they were.

"What?" Sasuke blinked, realizing that the instructor had asked him a question.

"Maternity leave, did you forget about it?" Naruto asked. The blonde nudged the Uchiha with his elbow, grinning as Sasuke gave him a dismissive glance.

"I'm starting my leave in a month as of right now but the Hokage knows that might change depending on how fast the baby develops." He answered. Biwako nodded and looked over to Naruto's swaddled baby doll.

"Very good, Sasuke." She complimented and raised an eyebrow at Naruto. "Make sure you practice at home, so you can do this without help." The blonde nodded and smiled as he placed his hand on his doll. Biwako moved on to the next row of tables behind them and Sasuke pointedly ignored the tables of women in front of them who were quietly talking and watching the instructor move around the room. It had taken a few classes to get used to being the only men in the room but he still refused to go to the class alone.

"I didn't bring any food." Sasuke leaned closer to his partner as his stomach growled quietly.

"Hungry?" Naruto whispered back. The Uchiha nodded and moved to unwrap the blanket from the doll. He might as well practice while they had a few moments of free time and paused when Naruto sat back and dug his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"Here." Naruto pulled out a plastic bag and set it down on the table between them.

"Carrots." Sasuke stated. He didn't know if he should be grateful or annoyed the blonde had brought them, grateful that he had brought food for him or annoyed that it was plain, raw, carrot sticks inside the bag.

"It's a healthy snack. What I would have given for my husband to think about those kinds of things when I was pregnant." A woman at the table in front of them spoke up. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at her and reached for the bag, pulling it into his lap so he could eat with some amount of privacy.

"If you don't mind me asking," Naruto leaned onto their table, closer to her. "Why are you taking this class if you've had kids before?" Sasuke opened the bag of carrots and looked up

"It's a good refresher course but mostly it's because we're curious." The woman blushed and looked to the woman next to her who nodded unabashedly.

"Curious about what?" Naruto asked. He looked between the two women curiously with a friendly smile and the Uchiha watched as all the women in front of them looked to them and could feel more stares coming from behind them.

"Us, idiot." Sasuke elbowed him in the ribs and focused his attention on the carrots in his lap so he wouldn't meet any of their stares and glare at them.

"Oh." Naruto's eyes widened as the realization hit him. The Uchiha shoved a carrot into his mouth as Biwako walked past their table, back up to the front and cleared her throat to grab everyone's attention.

"Are we ready to move on?" Biwako asked. When no one raised a hand she continued. "Alright, the next lesson is how to properly feed and burp your child. Does anyone need a refresher on breast feeding before we move on to bottle feeding?" The instructor looked around the room and was greeted by silence and the sound of Sasuke chewing on carrots.

A knock on the door stopped Biwako from continuing on and Sakura popped her head into the room. "Biwako-sensei." She stepped into the room, bowing to the older woman respectfully.

"Sakura-san, what can I do for you?" The instructor turned to her as Sakura straightened.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your class but is it all right if I borrow Naruto and Sasuke for a moment?" She glanced to them as Sasuke cocked an eyebrow curiously and Naruto was already preparing to stand.

"Of course." Biwako looked to the only two men in the room and jerked her head to the pink haired woman. Sasuke wrapped the bag up and stuffed the carrots in his pocket as Naruto darted to the door quickly. The dark haired male nodded to their instructor as they left the room. "Does anyone have any questions? Questions about the class, not his pregnancy, Kohada." She spoke to the group of women as Sasuke shut the door and the Uchiha felt his face heat up.

He and Naruto didn't know any of these women personally and he didn't know if he should be irritated that they were so curious about them or glad about it. It meant they weren't scared of him but that also meant they were brave enough to ask about his pregnancy. Sakura had moved a few steps away from the door and was standing next to a woman that the Uchiha knew was familiar.

"Naruto, Sasuke, this is Taji. She's one of our most experienced medics." Sakura introduced the woman. Taji gave a small bow and both men mirrored her, Sasuke placing a hand on his stomach as he did so.

"You helped us sign up for the class." Naruto smiled widely and held out his hand for her to shake. "It's nice to meet you again." Taji took the blonde's hand and smiled over to Sasuke who nodded to her.

"You too, Naruto. I'm glad you're both going to the classes, are you learning a lot?" She asked.

"We are, it's a lot to take in sometimes but we're managing." The blonde glanced to the Uchiha for confirmation and the dark haired male nodded.

"Hn." Sasuke added. Sakura rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I wanted you to meet Taji because she's volunteered as your obstetrician when it's time to give birth." Sakura explained.

"What does that mean, exactly?" Naruto cocked his head to the side and looked between their pink haired friend and Taji in confusion.

"I'd be preforming the Caesarean section and delivering the baby." The older brunette smiled and motioned to the Sakura. "Of course, Sakura will be assisting for her to get some experience and hopefully, for your peace of mind." Sasuke let his gaze wander to the other side of the hallway as a group of nurses passed by them, their stares unabashedly on his stomach.

"I'm sure she's always wanted to cut me open and see what's inside." Sasuke muttered. He looked back to Sakura and gave a glower that they both knew wasn't meant for her but at the women who were still staring at him.

"That's not nice, Teme." The blonde nudged him. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow and Sakura shook her head a little and smiled. Naruto watched the pink haired woman smile and relaxed, his shoulders drooping as the nervous tension left him.

"It's your decision," Taji ignored their quiet squabble as she looked between the three of them. "There are quite a few experienced doctors in the village, any of them would be a good choice and who you allow in the delivery room is entirely up to you, Sasuke." The Uchiha blinked in confusion.

"I would be honored if you were my obstetrician." He answered. For a second, the Uchiha and Taji stared at each other, the older women smiling and he not knowing if he should say anything else.

"Alright then, I'll get a copy of your medical file from Sakura and we can go over details of the procedure the next time we meet." Taji smiled and Sasuke nodded, still unsure how to respond.

"Isn't that a little early? He's still in his second trimester." Naruto pointed out.

"It's best you're both prepared as early as possible, there's always a chance of a premature birth." Taji responded. When the blonde jerked his head to the Uchiha, she raised her hand. "I wouldn't worry, Sakura has been keeping a close eye on him. If he starts to experience any symptoms she'll have him in here before he can blink." Sasuke looked over to the blonde and nodded in an attempt to reassure him.

"There's no need to worry." Their female teammate chimed in. Naruto nodded but he still looked Sasuke over, as if waiting to see Sasuke go into labor at any moment. "Thank you again, Taji." Sakura said with a small bow.

"I start my shift soon so I'll find you later, Sakura." The older woman nodded to her and then to Naruto and Sasuke again. "And I'll be seeing you two in a few days." Taji smiled and bowed. Naruto and Sasuke both bowed in return then watched her walk away.

"See, Sasuke? You get to decide who's allowed in the delivery room. So I wouldn't be able to cut you open and see what's inside if you didn't want me to." Sakura set a hand on her hip and settled her weight on one foot as she grinned. Sasuke glanced back to the pink haired woman.

"But you would never want to cut Sasuke open in the first place, right?" Naruto asked. "Cause you're too good of a friend to do that." The blonde smiled weakly.

"If that's what helps you sleep at night, Dobe." Sasuke smirked and Sakura adopted the same expression, she looked almost evil. The blonde physically shivered and stepped away from his fiancé and teammate.

"Oh relax, Naruto. We're only messing around." Sakura giggled. She smiled warmly and Sasuke reached his hand out, took the blonde's hand and intertwined their fingers. Bringing their hands up, the Uchiha pulled Naruto closer, kissing the back of the tan hand.

"I'd be allowed to be in the delivery room, right?" The blonde asked. He relaxed when Sasuke squeezed his hand and Sakura raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You're an idiot if you think I'm going anywhere without you when our baby is ready to be born." Sasuke responded with a blank stare. Naruto laughed in relief and leaned in close. He lifted his hand to Sasuke's face and turned the pale chin to kiss the Uchiha on the lips. The Uchiha let him, ignoring the stares he felt from the people passing them by in the hallway.

"Love you." Naruto murmured. He leaned back and Sasuke held his gaze for a moment, wanting to respond in kind.

"Alright, enough of the sappy love shit. Get back to your class." Sakura interrupted their moment and made a shooing motion at the blonde. Naruto cracked a grin and raised both his hands up to the back of his head as he stepped back.

"Okay, we'll see you at home for dinner, right?" The blonde asked. She nodded and watched him turn to go back into the room, Sasuke turned to follow him but stopped when Sakura brushed her hand across the Uchiha's arm.

"Sasuke," Sakura reached for the Uchiha's hand and held him back as Naruto stepped back into the classroom. "I also received a notification from Tsunade-sama, she finally got the last clerk in the scroll rooms to sign off on having you in there. You'll need to see her for when you can start searching for information on the seals."

"Thanks." Sasuke nodded to her. When she didn't let go, he tilted his head slightly and waited for her to continue.

"Also, she wants to know when she'll be officiating your guys' wedding. That little rumor has spread just as quickly as the one about you opening the compound." Sakura dropped her hand and regarded him carefully. For a moment, the Uchiha considered the news and shrugged his shoulders. He had known the Hokage would want to marry them; she had had a soft spot for Naruto since before Sasuke had even met the woman.

"Both are true." He responded finally. Sakura nodded and leaned against the wall.

"So have you guys picked a date?" She asked. He shook his head and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Before the baby's born would be best. I don't think we could plan it in time though, even a small one. It's not exactly traditional for an Uchiha to have a child out of wedlock." Sasuke murmured with a grin. Sakura's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I don't think anyone will really care, you're relationship with Naruto isn't exactly traditional." The pink haired woman shifted her gaze to stare down a nurse that stared at them as she passed them.

"People will care," The Uchiha started and paused, thinking about what he really wanted to say. "I didn't want to get married at first, but Naruto convinced me otherwise."

"He has the tendency to do that." Sakura chuckled. "Go save your idiot from the curious gossips. I've got work to do." She pushed herself off of the wall and smiled as she made her way down the hallway and Sasuke returned to the Baby Basics classroom. The women were giggling when he stepped inside, Biwako standing in front of the classroom, arms crossed over her chest and her expression was pitying. Said blonde was squirming in his seat, face redder than a tomato and most of the women were staring at him expectantly. Naruto's eyes met his and he nearly jumped out of his chair when the Uchiha moved forward.

"What have I missed?" Sasuke asked quietly when he sat down.

"I asked Biwako-sensei what I should do in case of an emergency and they ganged up on me, asking me if you were going into labor." Naruto mumbled.

"Then now they know the answer." Sasuke responded and looked up to their instructor. He pulled out his bag of carrots and set them down on the table, if he was going to deal with these women, he was going to do it on a full stomach.

"They have a few questions for you." Biwako gestured around to the women in the room. Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his seat and turned his head to the Uchiha, probably wanting to bolt out of the room and all he needed was the go ahead.

"It's so Biwako-sensei can focus the rest of the classes on what you two need to know." One of the braver women called out. Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he looked in their direction. That was a fairly good excuse to get all the information they wanted about his pregnancy.

"How far along are you?" Another woman asked. Sasuke reached into the baggy to pull out a piece of carrot and inspected it as he briefly thought about his answer.

"Twenty three weeks give or take a few days." He finally said. Biting into his carrot, he looked over to Naruto and raised an eyebrow at the blush that was reappearing there. It's not like he had to answer the soon to be embarrassing questions about his body.

"How did you do it?" A young woman in the front asked. She raised her hand and then lowered it slowly when Sasuke looked to her. "I mean, what seal did you use?"

"I made the seal myself," Sasuke answered. He tried to keep a straight face as he said it but the blonde next to him started to squirm in his seat again.

"The specifics of it are classified information, am I correct?" Biwako called out as the woman opened her mouth again. Sasuke nodded in the affirmative. He had tailored the seal to his genetic makeup and used more than one technique that was not approved for civilian use. Turning his gaze to the young woman in the front, he watched her hopeful expression disappear and Biwako stepped forward to rest her hand on the woman's shoulder. The only thing he could think of was she was unable to have a child naturally and her options of seals were limited. A pang of remorse hit him and Sasuke looked away, feeling guilty.

"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?" The woman sitting next to Naruto asked. Sasuke glanced over to her as he willed away the negative emotions.

"We decided we didn't want to know." Naruto spoke up. The Uchiha was glad that was one topic that the blonde was always adamant about since Ino.

"Have you had any of the symptoms of being pregnant?" Another asked. Sasuke stuck his hand back into the baggy and looked down when he didn't touch one immediately. He was eating through them quickly and was still hungry.

"Nausea, morning sickness, swollen ankles, I'm always tired." He answered before biting into a piece of carrot, satisfied with the noise of the raw crunch.

"He couldn't stand the smell of ramen, or food cooking for a few weeks." The blonde chimed in.

"Are you two really engaged?" One woman asked. Looking down, he could see count the carrots on one hand and tried to slow down on his munching to make them last.

"What does that have to do with his pregnancy?" Naruto asked with a frown. Sasuke leaned onto the desk and didn't bother opening his mouth to say anything on that matter.

"When is the wedding?" A woman in a seat behind them asked. Naruto leaned onto the table, drumming his fingers on the table and looked Sasuke to see what he'd answer. Sasuke just shook his head and refused to answer.

"What about opening the compound?" Another asked. The Uchiha rolled his eyes and looked to his fiancé to answer that one. He was the one who wanted to do it but the blonde just shrugged his shoulders and continued to drum his fingers on the table.

"Ladies please, keep it to his pregnancy. That is what this class is about." Biwako scolded them gently. Silence reigned for the next few seconds as the women reconsidered their questions and the two men in the room waited for them.

"Have you started thinking about baby names?" A woman sitting at the table on Sasuke's side asked. Naruto and Sasuke glanced to each other, trying to see who would answer first.

"Not yet." Sasuke stated with a frown. He looked away from his blonde and looked to the woman who had asked. They would have to get started on that soon as well. There was so much he and Naruto needed to do and he was already in his second trimester.

"Have you made a list of baby items that you have? If you bring it in we can expand on it and give some tips." An older woman in one of the first row of tables spoke up.

"Yeah, that'd be really helpful. We could use the advice." Naruto nodded with a smile. Sasuke tilted his head in acknowledgment; it was a good idea, especially if it meant they could pick the brains of these experienced mothers.

"Any other questions before we move on?" The instructor called out.

"Do you two still have an active sex life?" Someone called out. Sasuke nearly choked on his last carrot mid-swallow and Naruto stilled so quickly the Uchiha glanced over to him to make sure he wouldn't faint.

"Kohada!" Biwako called out angrily. Some of the women looked away in embarrassment and others tried to look like they weren't looking at them, curious as to the answer. Most of the women had turned towards one another and started whispering, the room filled with quiet conversations.

"This is so embarrassing." The blonde mumbled under his breath. "I knew I should have taken an extra perimeter shift today." Sasuke scowled and swiveled in his seat, lifted his leg and kicked the blonde off of his chair.

"Hey!" The blonde cried out. "I brought you carrots!" He whined. The Uchiha glared at him from his seat and turned back to their instructor, glowering darkly.

"Everyone, quiet!" Biwako called out loudly. She gave Sasuke a repentant look before glaring at every woman in the room one by one until they were silent. Naruto eventually stood up and sat back in his chair, glancing to the Uchiha every now and then as the dark haired male crumpled the empty bag and stuffed it in his pocket. "Alright, let's move on to properly prepare milk for bottle feeding." Biwako motioned for someone to come up and help her pull empty baby bottles out of a closet in the front of the room.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you're going to make a wonderful daddy." The woman sitting at the table close to the Uchiha murmured softly.

"Father, I'm going to be a father." Sasuke corrected her. A strange fluttering started in his ribcage, he inhaled deeply to try and quell it but it didn't fade.

"He doesn't like to be called daddy." Naruto whispered with a wide smile. The Uchiha looked to him for a brief moment before kicking his shin. He grunted in pain, wincing as he reached down to rub the spot where he'd been kicked. "You didn't have to hit me so hard." The blonde whispered loudly. Of course he didn't, but it certainly made the sensation in Sasuke's chest seem lighter.

"Naruto, Sasuke, my previous order to remain quiet included you as well." Biwako called out as she moved around the room, placing bottles on tables. The women started to snicker again as Naruto blushed and Sasuke refused to meet their instructor's gaze.

* * *

"Don't, Naruto. You know he's going to be pissed when he wakes up." Sakura's voice roused Sasuke into consciousness.

"Oh, come on Sakura. He's never been so deeply asleep for this long before." Naruto's excited voice roused the Uchiha even further and he opened his eyes, wondering how he had fallen asleep and why he had done it on their couch. Looking around, he could see sheets of paper on his chest and remembered he had been trying to figure out how to word a lease agreement.

"He's going to hit you when he sees what you're doing." Blinking, Sasuke looked over to where the voices were coming from. Of course, the first thing he saw was Naruto kneeling in front of him and looking over his shoulder, a calligraphy brush wet with black ink in hand. Still sleepy, he tried to contort his face into a glare as the blonde looked back down at him.

"Naruto." Sasuke grumbled. He lifted his hand up to grab the papers on top of him so he could sit up.

"Oh shit, Sasuke!" The blonde cried out in surprise. Sasuke watched him topple backwards on his ass and stared when the blonde looked back at him with a shit-eating grin before he broke out laughing. Naruto dropped the brush on the floor and it rolled away, leaving ink marks in its wake.

"Why do I have to keep reminding you that you need to sleep on your side?" Sakura chuckled. Sasuke sleepily looked to her to find her smiling at him, her cheeks puffed out as if she was trying hard not to burst out laughing.

"I wasn't planning on falling asleep." The Uchiha responded grumpily. He raised a hand up to his face as he sat up, careful of his burgeoning stomach. His fingers touched something wet on his face as he swung his legs over the edge of the couch. "What-?" Pulling his hand away, Sasuke frowned when he saw the black, very ink like substance that had come from his cheek. Almost immediately, Naruto began scrambling backwards, still grinning as the Uchiha quickly concluded to the reason behind his actions.

"Now, Sasuke." The blonde chuckled nervously. Sasuke raised an eyebrow menacingly as he stood up and began to stalk the crawling man around the room. "Let's be reasonable. I'm your fiancé right? Um, the father of our unborn child?" Naruto pleaded as he backed himself up against a wall. Staring down at his mischievous lover, the pregnant male watched the blonde attempt to keep at least a straight face but his lips continuously twitched upwards. He almost felt sorry for Naruto; he was trying so hard not to smile.

"Give him a break, Sasuke. He's been picking up extra perimeter shifts and taking more missions." Sakura sighed. Staring down at the blonde, he narrowed his eyes into a cold stare at him.

"Trying to get out of going to our classes." He snorted. The blonde opened his mouth to say something but their friend beat him to it.

"So he can call in favors and be able to go to the classes." Sakura corrected him. Raising an eyebrow at the pinkette, he watched her break out into another fit of giggles.

"Hey, that's not true!" Naruto looked between Sakura and Sasuke, he put his hands on the wall in an attempt to raise himself up on his feet. The Uchiha raised his foot and pushed the blonde back against the wall, refusing to let him up. "I mean, come on, Teme!" Naruto whined. He looked between Sakura and Sasuke both, looking caught between wanting to tell the truth and attempting to lie.

"What are you planning?" Sasuke cocked his head to the side and put more pressure on the blonde's chest. By the way Naruto's eyes widened and his ears started to redden, he knew he had uncovered the start of a secret his fiancé was trying to hide.

"Leave him alone, Sasuke. You should probably go wash your face before it dries. You'll be stuck with smears if you wait any longer." Sakura called out. She walked around the two and sat down on the couch, making herself comfortable. Reluctantly, the Uchiha stepped off of the blonde's chest and turned to Sakura.

"I'll get him to tell me. One way or another." Sasuke muttered threateningly. He could hear Naruto let out a sigh of either relief at the reprieve as he passed their friend on the couch with a silent glare.

"What are you planning, exactly?" The pink haired woman asked quietly. Sasuke had to pause in the hallway to listen.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise." Naruto responded softly. "I don't even know if he's going to like it." Feeling slightly guilty about listening in, Sasuke quietly made his way to the hallway bathroom and turned on the light to see what damage the blonde had done.

'DADDY' was written on his forehead, Uzumaki clan swirls were on both his cheeks and Naruto had had the audacity to paint half a mustache on him. A streak of black ink was drawn on one side of his upper lip that made the clan seal look like an extravagant mustache but the other side of his lip was missing the connecting line. Obviously he had been awakened before Naruto could finish his artwork.

Glaring at his reflection, Sasuke flipped the faucet water on hot and leaned over. He splashed the water on his face and then started to scrub at the ink on his forehead, hoping it would come off easily. When he looked up again, the ink on his forehead had washed off and was running down his face, making it look like he was crying a watery black color.

Moving to his cheeks, he found that those had been the first things Naruto had drawn on his face. They were already drying on his skin and he spent more than a few minutes scrubbing at them. Sasuke's cheeks were red when he finished with them and the baby had started to kick in earnest after a few minutes of his bent posture, his bladder was screaming for release.

After taking care of that biological necessity, he left the bathroom, in a slightly grouchier mood than he had been just after waking up. Naruto had moved onto the couch, leaning forward onto his knees and looking off into space distractedly. Sakura was walking back into the room, a glass of water in hand and she walked towards him, meeting him right next to the couch as Naruto looked up at them.

"Drink." She commanded. "You haven't had anything to drink since you came back from your class." Sasuke stared at the glass in her hand before shaking his head.

"I'm not thirsty." He answered. Attempting to sidestep his friend, she followed him, refusing to let him pass her.

"Drink it anyway, for the baby." She smiled knowingly and Sasuke rolled his eyes but took the glass from her. It wasn't until he took several gulps of the room temperature water that the strong willed woman let him pass so he could sit next to his blonde. "So how's the lease writing going?" She sat down on the armrest of the couch and watched Sasuke set the glass of water down.

"Hn." He responded shortly. Naruto wrapped his arm around the Uchiha's shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. Sasuke leaned towards him without even bothering to fight about it; he found that he was enjoying the touches.

"He's been working on it for a few days, seems a little stressed out about it." The blonde responded for him. Sasuke pressed his cheek against the blonde's shoulder and sighed. He could see Sakura frown and look to his abandoned glass of water.

"Why not ask your old landlord about it, maybe he could let you look at his for an example?" Sakura asked. The dark haired male tilted his head upwards to glare at her.

"Sasuke's still upset about the old hag helping us out with getting the compound running again." Naruto spoke up when Sasuke didn't answer right away.

"What's your issue with asking for help? Besides, that was ages ago." She asked. Wanting to ignore her questions, the dark haired male grabbed his glass of water pointedly.

"I think it's more about when the old hag did all that stuff so we could get the compound livable again." Naruto played with cloth of the Uchiha's sweater as Sasuke took a short sip and rolled his eyes. "Before he asked."

"I didn't ask for her help." The Uchiha finally spoke up for himself. He watched Naruto sigh and Sakura lifted both of her eyebrows.

"Sometimes you don't need to." Sakura told him sincerely. Naruto raised his hand to the Uchiha's raise, running his fingers through the naturally rising spikes and Sasuke refused to look up at Sakura. "Okay, let's get dinner started, it's my turn to cook." She stood up and dusted off her behind and moved toward the kitchen.

"Why do we let her make dinner here? She has her own apartment now." Naruto muttered into Sasuke's ear. Tilting head to look up, the dark haired male glared softly at him.

"Because she cooks for us?" Sasuke retorted. "It's worth it, even if she invites Apricot, Iruka, and Kakashi over." The dark haired male added. Naruto exhaled loudly before nodding. He tilted his head downwards and placed a kiss on the pregnant male's temple.

"I like the group dinners too, it's a whole new experience." Naruto tugged on Sasuke's hair gently and smiled when he received a glare.

"Guys, I need some help in here tonight, Yamato said he'll be coming too." Sakura called out. Their eyes met and they both appraised each other, wondering if the other would volunteer themselves first. As Naruto opened his mouth to say something, Sasuke spoke up.

"You do it." He smirked as the blonde made a noise in the back of his throat before he stopped and leaned back to frown at the pregnant male.

"Why me?" The blonde complained. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him and quickly thought of an excuse, he could hear Sakura listening to them and heard her walk back into the room.

"My feet hurt." The Uchiha crossed his legs, lifting his foot onto the blonde's lap and gave him an innocent look. Naruto looked down at the pale foot on his lap and then up at Sakura who crossed her arms over her chest and was looking at the Uchiha skeptically.

"That doesn't mean you can't get up and walk into the kitchen." The pink haired woman spoke up. "You can sit down and cut vegetables while Naruto starts the rice." Sasuke turned his attention to their friend and scowled at her. The blonde laughed and put his hand on the dark haired male's ankle, starting to massage it gently.

"You're ruining his fun, Sakura." Naruto called out good-naturedly with a smile. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, surprised that the blonde was going along with his antics knowingly.

"He's just being a baby." The pink haired woman rolled her eyes and motioned back to their kitchen. "Let's go." She watched the blonde set Sasuke's foot down and moved to stand up. Sasuke exhaled softly but set his feet down and pressed his hands onto the couch seat so he could push himself up.

"Maybe because I'm having a baby." He grumbled halfheartedly. Sakura grinned as she stepped out of the doorway to let the two into the kitchen before following them in.

"Yeah right." Sakura snorted. Sasuke and Naruto both went to wash their hands before the Uchiha picked up the vegetables, a cutting board, and a knife, and sat down at the table. Naruto went to the cabinet they kept the rice in and Sakura went to the fridge to pull out whatever meat she planned on cooking for dinner. They heard the front door open and soft footsteps made their way into the house.

"Sasuke?" Kyoko's voice called out suddenly. "I finished organizing those keys and leases like you told me to do." Sasuke looked up from the vegetables to see Apricot tentatively stepping into the kitchen.

"You've got her working?" Naruto asked in surprise. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders as he to chopped vegetable after vegetable. The blonde dumped rice into the bowl of their cooker and went to the sink again to pour water into it.

"What else is she going to do? She can only do so much training in a day." The Uchiha paused and looked over his shoulder to the blonde and then to Kyoko. "Would you rather train than work?" He asked. Apricot blinked once and then shook her head vigorously, she hadn't exactly fallen in love with Kakashi's teaching style.

"Well since you finished the job Sasuke gave you, why don't you help us cook dinner?" Sakura asked. She smiled and nodded her head for the girl to come further into the kitchen. Naruto set the bowl in the rice cooker, placed the lid on it, set the timer and leaned against the counter.

"Or she can just watch, I'd like to be able to eat something that's actually edible." Naruto muttered good-naturedly. Apricot moved to sit next to Sasuke, sticking her tongue out at him as she passed. Naruto returned the gesture childishly and Sasuke rolled his eyes but found himself to be in too good of a mood to call him out on it.

"Dobe," Sasuke started. He waited until the blonde looked to him before continuing. "We should start making lists for baby names."

"Oh, hey." Sakura looked over her shoulder and smiled at the Uchiha.

"Ooh!" Apricot leaned into Sasuke's space for half a moment before backing away at the pregnant male's glare. "Lists, like one for boy names and one for girl names?" She asked in a calmer tone.

"Not unless you want to combine the girl names and boy names on the same list." Sakura told her sarcastically. "Have a boy, name him Nanami. Have a girl and name her Hiroto." She gave Sasuke a grin and turned back to her cutting board.

"I don't like those names. Nanami just doesn't sound right." The blonde spoke up. Sasuke tilted his head to agree with him, they were not naming their baby Nanami, boy or girl.

"Okay, should we start with girl names or boy names?" Naruto asked. He pushed himself off the counter so he could sit next to Sasuke, with Apricot on the other side.

"Girl's names." Sakura called out. She moved to the sink to wash her hands before picking up her cutting board of meat and turned to the stove. "Where do you keep the wok, Sasuke?"

"Lower cabinet on your right." The Uchiha answered. He set his knife down and motioned for Apricot to grab the inedible bits to toss them out and she did so with only a moment's hesitation. Sakura took out their wok and placed it on the stovetop, she leaned down to eye level with the old-fashioned stove and flipped the knob to the stovetop to light the burner.

"Okay, anyone have any names in mind already?" The blonde questioned. All three at the table watched as Sakura straightened and looked around the counter for something to season the meat with.

"Mei, Koharu, Airi, Rin, Yui, Yua, Aoi, Yuina, Hina and my name, Sakura." Sakura listed off. She glanced over to the three at the table and motioned to them for the vegetables. Sasuke pushed the cutting board to the blonde and nudged him to take it to her.

"You got those from the most common name list at the hospital!" Naruto pointed to the pink haired woman. She didn't even turn around to admit to the accusation as the blonde stood up and picked up the vegetables and set them down on the counter next to Sakura's meat.

"Let me guess, you've got the top ten boy names memorized too?" Sasuke asked. Apricot shifted in her seat and watched Sakura pour oil into the wok, checking how hot it was before she dropped the meat into it. It sizzled to Sakura's satisfaction and she glanced over to the Uchiha with a grin.

"Hiroto, Ren, Yuuma, Minato, Shota, Yuuto, Haruto and Souma." She answered almost off-handedly as she tossed the meat in the wok.

"What about Kaname?" Apricot spoke up.

"Or Haku." Naruto added. "In memory of our first C-ranked mission."

"Apricot, can you get the soy sauce?" Sakura reached for their wok ladle and continued to stir the cooking meat. "Shouldn't we be writing this down?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Go get a piece of paper, Usuratonkachi, and a pen." He jerked his head to their living room and Naruto dutifully went to fetch the items with an excited grin.

"Haku." Sasuke murmured. He set a hand on his stomach as the baby started to kick and wondered if it was a name they could live with, if it would be a good name for a baby girl, or maybe even a baby boy.


	30. Open For Good: Part 1

**October twenty-second, the twenty-fourth week,**

"You're not allowed in there!" The shout surprised Sasuke and he jumped a little, lifting his head up from the scroll he was reading.

"Oh relax, I'm only going to stand in the doorway." Sakura's voice replied as the door to the scroll room opened. "Hiding from me, eh?" The pink haired woman raised an eyebrow at him, gave him a teasing grin and leaned against the doorframe. She was dressed in her usual ninja gear, which made the Uchiha feel slightly out of place in his long sleeved shirt and casual sweatpants.

"Sakura." He sighed and closed the scroll. The pregnant male then raised his hand and ran his fingers through his hair, which was getting to be too long again. "What are you talking about?"

"You cannot be in here." The old man behind Sakura huffed indignantly. He looked between Sakura and Sasuke angrily but knew he really couldn't do anything but wait for them to comply and then complain to the Hokage the next chance he got.

"You need another haircut. I'll cut it shorter this time so it'll take longer to grow out again." The pink haired woman stated. She ignored both the elder man behind her and the Uchiha's question as Sasuke set the scroll back on the shelf in its proper place. When the dark haired male finally stood up, she motioned for him to come closer and Sasuke did so with one hand on his belly, which was prominent now more than ever before.

"The Hokage will hear about this!" The clerk threatened. Sakura waved her hand at him and stepped out of the doorway so Sasuke could leave the room. Sasuke rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him, leaving the clerk to lock it as the pink haired woman led him away.

"I wasn't hiding from you." He murmured. "I just needed to get out of the compound for a few hours." She glanced over to him and shrugged her shoulders in response.

"I know, Naruto's clones were running me ragged too." She sighed. "But I actually was coming to get you for your checkup. Kusushi and Taji are looking forward to seeing you and the baby again." Sasuke looked to her blankly as they headed for the stairwell and started up the two flights to the ground floor.

"Did Naruto try to drag you into organizing all that stuff?" The Uchiha asked.

"No, I got tired of listening to him fight with himself and took charge of organizing everything." Sakura answered. "Then I left him to it and came to find you." Sasuke opened the stairwell door for Sakura and they continued on their way out of the Hokage tower.

"What about Kakashi and Apricot?" The pregnant male asked. They quietly walked out the front doors and into the cool breeze of late October air.

"He's teaching her something, Kakashi'll do anything to get out of helping Naruto with the heavy lifting." Sakura shrugged her shoulders. Sasuke didn't respond and they walked the rest of the way to the hospital in a companionable silence.

"Do you know if this is going to take long?" He asked when the stepped through the front doors of the hospital. The woman at the front desk looked up and smiled at them, Sakura waved and Sasuke nodded to her. She was definitely in his Baby Basics class and it wouldn't do to pretend he didn't recognize her.

"Why? Suddenly in a rush to get back?" His old teammate gave him an incredulous look and Sasuke shook his head in response.

"I still have research I need to do." The Uchiha answered.

"Oh come on, Sasuke. You're supposed to be taking it easy." Sakura berated him. She reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, which he tolerated.

"I'd rather be in the scroll room doing something productive than sitting at home with my fiancé's clones fussing over me." He answered. The pink haired woman dropped her hand but leaned closer to him.

"Getting used to that term? Fiancé." Sakura grinned and the Uchiha narrowed his eyes at her.

"I am." Sasuke responded calmly. "It gets Naruto all hot and bothered." The pink haired woman made a gagging noise in the back of her throat, making several people turn their heads at her in concern as they walked past.

"Ew. That's way too much information. Revenge for telling you about Iruka-sensei being loud?" She asked. Sasuke turned his head to her so she could see his smirk before he dropped it in a mask of indifference. "Touché." Sakura murmured before stopping at a door. The Uchiha stopped behind her as she opened it and he took it, holding it for her.

"Sakura," Taji called from inside the room happily. Sasuke walked into the room behind her and shut the door quietly. "And Sasuke, good to see you two again. I was just talking to Kusushi here about your ultrasounds." The older woman was sitting on one side of the room, hands in her lap and looking over to the sonographer who was leaning over a table on the other side of the room.

"Nothing bad I hope." Sakura leaned against the wall by the door and looked between the two older adults and the pregnant male. Sasuke found himself focusing on what Kusushi was looking intently at, an open file with sheets of paper neatly stapled inside, most looked like medical forms from what the pregnant male could see.

"No, no, nothing bad. You're twenty-four weeks along, isn't that right?" Taji motioned for the dark haired male to sit in the only available chair in the room and he moved towards it.

"Yes." Sasuke answered. He sat down and gripped the edges of his sweater to take it off, knowing the routine. Kusushi hummed wordlessly and closed the file, tapping his pointer finger against it as he continued to contemplate on something.

"So the baby's reflexes are starting to develop, fingerprints and footprints are already formed, has the baby been moving regularly?" Kusushi looked up from his chart to meet the Uchiha's gaze as he spoke.

"Almost every morning, sometimes when Naruto gets loud." The Uchiha stated. He looked over to Taji who nodded and he pulled his shirt up and over his head.

"Good, that's good." The brunette man pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose as Sakura leaned forward to take the Uchiha's sweater to hold. Sasuke handed it over with a nod and leaned back, his arm coming to rest along the curve of where his stomach met his ribcage almost naturally.

"Has the morning sickness come back?" Taji asked. She turned towards him and assessed his body with a critical gaze.

"No." He answered again. Kusushi turned back to the table and flipped open the file again, taking a pen out and scribbling something down.

"How's his weight gain?" The older woman questioned with a clinical tone.

"Really good, Naruto's been taking good care of him." Sakura responded.

"I'm right here." Sasuke grumbled. He glared at Sakura who ignored him, completely unaffected by his glare.

"What were his GCT test results?" She asked instead. The pink haired woman craned her neck to try to see into the folder over Kusushi's shoulder.

"Was that the sugar drink?" Sasuke questioned sarcastically. Taji gave him an amused smile and the sonographer snorted softly.

"Sounds like it's time for your nap." The older woman chuckled. He averted his gaze so he wouldn't glare at Taji and instead glowered at the wall.

"He passed." The brunet male spoke up. Sasuke glanced to the only other male in the room but Kusushi was still focused on his file.

"Alright, let's get you checked out so you can get out of here." Taji tugged up her sleeves to her elbows before rubbing her palms together to warm them. "Do you know when Naruto is going to have the compound ready?" She looked up for the answer.

"Probably by tomorrow morning." He answered and blinked at her when she nodded. Watching her, the Uchiha pulled his hand away from his stomach and set it down on the armrest. Once Sasuke nodded to the older woman, her hands started to glow green with her chakra and she gently set her hands on his baby bump.

"Everything feel normal?" Kusushi looked up again and this time turned his body to face Sasuke.

"Heartbeat is strong, the extremities seem to be forming nicely." Taji moved her hands from one side of his stomach to the other with a smile quickly forming on her lips. "Looks like the little tyke here is in the clear." She pulled her hands away as the glow of chakra faded and sat back, pleased with herself.

"And so is the soon to be father." Sakura pushed herself off the wall and held the Uchiha's shirt out for him to take. He took it, moving to sit at the edge of the chair so he could pull it on. "Are you sure you still want to head back to the records room? Or can I convince you to come to lunch with me?"

"Go get lunch, spoil yourself a little. I know Sakura can be a strict dietician." Taji crossed her arms over her chest and watched the Uchiha stand, straightening his sweater. He nodded quietly, not really knowing if he was agreeing with the older woman or agreeing to go out to lunch.

"I learned from the best." The pink haired woman retorted as she headed for the door. "Thank you again, Taji, Kusushi." She bowed and Sasuke did the same, more to Taji than Kusushi.

"I'll contact Sakura later in the week for our next appointment." Kusushi pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose again and closed the file as they both straightened from their bows.

"I look forward to hearing from you." Sakura opened the door and ushered Sasuke out into the hallway. "So, where do you want to go for lunch?" She asked after shutting the door.

"Hn." Sasuke answered. He wasn't exactly craving anything at the moment and Sakura would automatically veto any place that served foods that weren't all that healthy. Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets as they left the hospital, the woman at the front desk waving to him again on their way out.

"Do you think Naruto will be mad if we go to Ichiraku's without him?" She asked. They paused outside the gates of the hospital and Sasuke tried to stop his body from shivering at the chilled breeze.

"You really need to ask?" Sasuke questioned with a raised eyebrow. Sakura crossed her arms and rubbed her arms vigorously to warm herself.

"Right, he'd be pissed." Sakura sighed as if she had known it all along. She glanced to him and grinned. "So we're going, right?"

"I think I have a craving." The Uchiha replied with a snort. He took the lead and led his old teammate towards Ichiraku's, ready to eat. "Revenge for not telling me what he's up to." Sakura blinked rapidly for a moment as she tried to figure out what he meant.

"You mean the thing about him taking extra perimeter shifts?" Sakura questioned. Tilting his head in an affirmative motion, Sasuke watched the pink haired woman contemplate the idea. "You do know Shikamaru is in charge of setting up the perimeter shift schedules, right? If anyone knows anything about what our resident idiot is up to, it's him."

"Naruto probably bribed him to keep his mouth shut." Sasuke grumbled.

"Then I guess you'll just have to wait to see." Sakura chuckled.

* * *

_He found himself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Shouldn't he have been doing something? Sasuke couldn't remember and moved to lie on his side, knowing Sakura would yell at him for sleeping on his back. Raising his hand to his stomach, he stopped short and inhaled sharply. He couldn't feel his stomach sticking out. The moment of panic was brief, looking down to see his flat stomach as a cry rang out in the silence._

_Unsure, Sasuke sat up to look around the room and pressed his hand to his flat abdomen. Another cry rang out, nearly making the dark haired man jump in surprise but it continued into a long wail and he found himself moving to stand. It was his baby, he realized when another wail rang out and he knew he had to find his child. The only sound in the house was the baby's crying, which made the house seem emptier than he knew it was. Sasuke left the main bedroom and stepped into the hallway, wondering where his baby was in the house. He followed the crying down the hallway into the guest bedroom and was surprised by what he saw. The last time he had been in the room, it had still been a guest bedroom but now it was completely redone_

_Curtains were hanging over the window and the walls had been repainted white. A crib had replaced the bed; a rocking chair had been set up in the corner, a small baby pen in another corner and a box of baby toys had been placed under the crib. He had paused to look around but the baby's wailing grew louder and he moved towards the crib. There, squirming ruefully was a baby, with a head full of black hair in a white onesie. His child. Almost fearfully, Sasuke reached down and brushed the backs of his fingers against the soft cheek of the red-faced crier. The baby continued to squirm and Sasuke grew more confident, reaching down with both his hands to lift the baby into his arms. Still crying, the baby's arms flailed as the Uchiha settled his hand under the head and righted his child against his body like he had been taught in class._

" _Shh, hush now. It's alright." The Uchiha whispered in his poor attempt of a soothing tone. Automatically he started to softly rock his body from side to side, in the exact motions he had learned in the Baby Basics class but his child continued to wail loudly. "I've got you, why are you still crying?" He asked in a quiet murmur. Continuing to sway, he set his hand gently down the back of his child's head, feeling the downy soft hair and warm skin beneath his fingertips._

" _-doesn't love you." Naruto's voice broke out over the sound of the crying. Turning his body towards the door, he saw the blonde leaning against the doorframe._

" _What?" Sasuke whipped his head to the blonde. He watched as the blonde man came closer and reached his hands out. His arms stretched out towards him, towards their child in Sasuke's hands._

" _Our baby," Naruto looked up from their child and frowned as he met the Uchiha's gaze. "Doesn't love you." Sasuke watched in horror as his soon-to-be husband plucked their child out of his hands and stepped back, the baby's wailing ringing in his ears._

" _Why would you say that?" He asked. Taking a step to follow him and stopped when a pair of icy blue eyes glared at him._

" _Because," Naruto turned his attention to the baby in his arms and started to rock his arms from side to side. Their child immediately quieted, as if realizing that Sasuke was no longer holding him. "It's the truth. What child would love someone who killed their own brother?" Something broke inside of him, hearing the man he loved say that. Sasuke felt his throat constrict and he squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to let himself begin to cry. He looked down to their child and the broken feeling inside started to crumble and spread in his gut. Their baby had the blonde's eyes; those bright blue eyes icily staring at him in the same expression as Naruto was._

"Teme?" Naruto's voice called out hesitantly. "Sasuke, are you alright?" Sasuke inhaled sharply and became aware of his body's prone position, realizing that he was lying on his side. That he had been asleep. Warm hands wrapped around his chest and gently lifted his upper body off the bed. He opened his eyes and tried to will away his nightmare as the blonde's body slid under his and lowered him down again. "Did you have a bad dream?" Naruto murmured softly.

"I dreamt the baby had already been born, that they hated me." He opened his eyes and turned his head into the blonde's chest, relishing the warmth of his fiancé. Hot hands wrapped around his shoulders, moving in a soothing motion and the Uchiha sighed softly. He'd deny it in front of anyone else but in this exact moment, he needed the comfort.

"Our baby could never hate you. Why would you think that?" Naruto raised a hand to run his fingers through the Uchiha's hair and waited patiently for him to respond. When he didn't, the blonde sighed and pressed his face into his fiancé's dark hair. "Sasuke, you do realize that kids are programmed to love their parents, right?"

"That's not funny, Dobe." The Uchiha shifted and sat up. The blonde let him pull away, watched him shift into a different position and leaned back again. He pulled Naruto's hands around his waist and set them on his pregnant stomach. "Where did you hear that lie?" Sasuke looked down to his stomach and stared at their intertwined hands for a moment, wondering whose skin color the baby would have.

"It's true, I swear." Naruto chuckled. "You're being stupid, thinking that our child will hate the parent that carried him or her around for nine months." The blonde pulled his hands away and the dark haired male dropped his hands onto the bed.

"They won't remember that, Usuratonkachi. I'm the one that killed his own brother." Sasuke let out a small grunt as the baby started to move and kick and Naruto gently felt across the dark haired male's stomach. The baby moved a few more times, not really kicking but enough that Naruto moved his hands around, searching for more.

"And I have the nine-tailed fox demon sealed inside of me. I think I win in the most hate-able parent category, and the most dangerous. Stop worrying about it." Naruto pressed his face into Sasuke's hair and dipped his pointer finger into the Uchiha's belly button, teasing his lover.

"Hn." The Uchiha murmured. Naruto wasn't wrong and he restrained himself from saying something even more disparaging. He attempted to rid himself of the dream and his fears, he'd deal with it when it happened. If it happened, he reminded himself. They were silent for a moment, Sasuke content to keep cuddling for as long as the blonde could stand to sit in one place and attempting to put the nightmare out of his mind.

"Do you think I'll make a good father?" Naruto suddenly spoke up. Surprised, the Uchiha blinked once and then frowned as he thought of his answer.

"You?" Sasuke tilted his head to look behind him and gave the blonde an incredulous look. "You were born to be a father."

"Teme, I'm being serious." Naruto grumbled. Sitting up, Sasuke turned his body so he was facing his fiancé and forced the blonde to set his hands in his own lap.

"So am I." The Uchiha stated pointedly. He met the blonde's gaze and watched as Naruto's face turned red.

"You really think so?" Naruto looked away embarrassedly and fiddled with the cloth of his pants. It took a fair amount of restraint to keep from raising an eyebrow at the blonde; they both had their doubts about the impending parenthood.

"If you're not a good father, I'll kick your ass." The Uchiha stated. He reached up and cupped his partner's cheek in his hand and Naruto leaned into the touch and sighed softly.

"That's always a good incentive." His blonde partner hummed sarcastically with a smile.

"Would you rather have me put you in a timeout in the corner?" Sasuke teased. Naruto raised an eyebrow as the dark haired male let his hand slide down a tan neck and onto the blonde's chest. "Or I could spank you." The blonde shifted at that and Sasuke let his fingers brush over a clothed nipple.

"I like that idea much better." Naruto's voice had gone husky as he shifted again, this time readjusting his pants at the crotch. "Do you want to practice?" Sasuke couldn't stop himself from smirking; the blonde didn't realize it, but he was giving Sasuke an opportune moment to find out why he was taking on extra perimeter shifts and missions. The blonde had not so subtly avoided giving a reason for over a week and Sasuke was quickly losing his patience.

"When does my fiancé need to report for his shift tonight?" The Uchiha pulled his hand away and stretched his legs out on the bed, making himself comfortable. Naruto watched him almost hypnotically, slightly glazed blue eyes following the pregnant male's movement and then sliding upwards to Sasuke's face.

"Couple of hours, I've got the midnight perimeter watch." The blonde shifted again and licked his lips, which Sasuke knew was done unconsciously. "Going to take me over your knees and spank me hard?"

"I doubt that's possible," He motioned to his protruding stomach. "But I'm sure I can think of something. Take your clothes off." Sasuke ordered. Naruto grinned and slid off the bed, lifting his shirt over his head enthusiastically. Sasuke only glanced to him, making sure he was following orders and then looked around the room. His eyes settled on the headboard of the bed and he pulled the pillows away so he could sit with his back resting against the wooden structure.

"Where do you want me?" Naruto asked. The blonde had dropped all his clothes in a heap and had sat down on the edge of the bed. Sasuke could see his fiancé's already half hard length resting against his lean, tan thigh. Grabbing a pillow, the Uchiha leaned forward and set it behind him and motioned for the blonde to move closer.

"Grab the lube. I want you on your hands and knees in front of me." Sasuke watched as the blonde leaned over to the nightstand and climbed onto the bed with a half used bottle of lube and an excited grin. Placing himself in front of the Uchiha, he put his weight on his hands and knees, his still growing erection dangling over Sasuke's thighs. "Closer." He murmured, reaching for the blonde's hip. Obeying the order, Naruto gave Sasuke a vibrant smile as the dark haired male placed a hand on his lower back.

"What are you going to punish me for?" Naruto asked. He gave the Uchiha a teasing smile and moved his hips as the pale hand on his back slipped down to the crease of his ass cheeks.

"Two good reasons are you taking extra perimeter shifts and more missions than you're required to every week." The Uchiha said without missing a beat. Before the blonde could say anything in his defense, Sasuke raised his hand and slapped Naruto's ass.

"Sasuke." Naruto called out in alarm. "Let me explain!" The Uchiha pressed his free hand to the blonde's shoulder and slapped the tan ass again. He watched the blonde grimace and squeezed the ass cheek he'd slapped gently in apology.

"But I'm punishing you because you refuse to tell me why you're doing it." Sasuke raised his hand again and gave the blonde's untouched ass cheek a gentle slap. Naruto looked up dolefully though he remained in place, willing to take the spanking.

"I'm doing it because I love you." He tried to explain and Sasuke sighed.

"That's what I'm talking about." Sasuke set his hand on a warm thigh and started to rub the warm skin as he thought. "You deflect my question with half-truths and change the subject. It's like you're lying to me." Naruto's big blue eyes widened almost impossibly before he pushed himself off of his hands and straightened onto his knees.

"You know I would never do that." The blonde murmured soothingly. He took the Uchiha's face in his hands and they were staring into each other's eyes. "Please, Sasuke. Let me keep this to myself, just for a little longer." Sasuke couldn't blink as Naruto's big blue eyes practically screamed 'trust me' at him and he felt his resolve start to crumble, not for the first time.

"Fine." The Uchiha sighed and tried to turn his head away from the blonde. Naruto's hands tightened on his jaw line, forcing Sasuke to continue looking up at him.

"I don't want to spoil it. I want it to be special." The blonde stated. Sasuke could practically feel the emotions rolling off of Naruto that he could see in those expressive blue eyes.

"You do know that only makes me more curious." He heard himself saying. His half thought out attempt to diffuse the seriousness seemed to work and the blonde let out a breathy chuckle.

"Sorry," Naruto grinned and leaned forward to give Sasuke a quick peck on the lips. "Let me distract you." He whispered. The dark haired male lifted his head up as Naruto kissed him again, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss into a slow, sensual kiss. Letting the blonde gently persuade him with his tongue, the Uchiha reached for his lap and wrapped his hands around the bottle of lube. Flipping the cap open, the dark haired male poured some out onto his fingers and recapped it before reaching out to Naruto's waist. He managed to get his point across without digging his fingernails into warm skin and the blonde scooted closer. Sasuke could feel the bed dip on either side of his legs as Naruto moved to kneel above him. Without breaking their kiss, the blonde finally released his face and slipped his hands downwards, one to the back of his neck and the other to his shoulder with the seal on it.

Reaching out with his clean, lube free, hand; Sasuke trailed his fingers down the blonde's abdomen to his groin. Naruto had most likely gone soft when they had started talking but it swelled under his touch and his bed partner groaned into Sasuke's mouth. Spreading the lube on his other hand between his fingers, Sasuke blindly reached around Naruto's body. After a few seconds of quick fumbling, he slipped his fingers between the blonde's cheeks and felt him pause in their kiss.

"Mmh." Naruto pressed his hips into the slick fingers and slowly pulled away from the kiss. "That's not a punishment." Sasuke brushed his fingers over the blonde's entrance and tightened his grip on the erection in his other hand in response.

"Shut up, Dobe." He murmured. Naruto kissed him again, settling himself on top of the Uchiha's thighs and let his hands roam. Pressing the tip of his finger into the blonde, he could feel Naruto's hands slip under his shirt, over his stomach to play with his nipples. Nibbling on a lower lip, Sasuke pressed his thumb over the blonde's slit and felt his pants get a little tighter. Massaging the contracting muscles with his finger, the Uchiha gently pressed it in deeper. Naruto's tongue darted into Sasuke's mouth teasingly and his hands moved down to his pants, blindly attempting to open them. He could feel the blonde's fingers brush against his growing erection and then suddenly, Naruto's hands were on his sides, pulling at his shirt. Sasuke made a small noise in the back of his throat as his shirt was tugged upwards, catching at his armpits when the blonde grew impatient.

"I don't want to be the only one naked." Naruto murmured as he continued to tug on the shirt. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke removed his hands from the blonde's body and held his hands up so Naruto could complete his mission. He closed his eyes, grimaced as his sweater hit his face and got caught on his chin but continued to patiently wait for Naruto to finish.

"Idiot." Sasuke muttered as soon as the blonde tossed his shirt over the edge of the bed. Naruto grinned and reached back down to the crotch of Sasuke's pants and freed the Uchiha's growing length. Sasuke nearly sighed in relief at the lack of constraint and grabbed the bottle of lube, intent on lubing his fingers again.

Humming in agreement, the blonde eyed the Uchiha's erection lustfully and trailed his fingers down his fiancé's body. Pouring more lube onto his hand, Sasuke eyed the blonde's length, licking his lips in anticipation. He nearly forgot to flip the cap back onto the tube before he tossed it off the bed and spread the lube between both of his hands. Sasuke reached around the blonde's hip and rubbed two fingers against his entrance before pushing one in again. With his other hand, the Uchiha wrapped his fingers around the head of Naruto's erection and slowly slid his hand down the length of it.

"Shit," The blonde hissed. "Definitely not a punishment." He murmured in appreciation. Sasuke smirked and gave Naruto a teasing stare, challenging him. Not wanting to disappoint, Naruto reached down to his own erection, swiped some of the lube and took Sasuke's at the base. The blonde pressed his lips to a pale neck, bit down gently, and began to suck on it. Pumping his finger and fisting the erection in his hand in a smooth rhythm, Sasuke closed his eyes to enjoy the flood of pleasurable sensations.

Naruto was working his way down Sasuke's neck, licking, biting, and sucking but it was when he bit down on the seal on his shoulder did the Uchiha jerk. His eyes flew open and he felt a finger stray from his erection, rubbing against his perineum. Not wanting to be outdone, Sasuke pressed a second finger into the blonde's entrance and immediately pressed his two fingers straight into Naruto's prostrate. The blonde tensed above him, a grin spreading against Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke couldn't stop from groaning when Naruto started to lick at the seal, shivers of pleasure erupted from his shoulder, going straight to his cock.

"Ah!" Sasuke gasped. The blonde pressed his lips to his seal and sucked. He jerked upwards again and felt Naruto squeeze the base of his erection. Groaning, the Uchiha tightened his grip at the base of Naruto's erection and felt the blonde hiss against his shoulder. Pressing a third finger into the blonde, Sasuke smirked as the muscles around his fingers clenched and unclenched. They loosened their grips almost simultaneously and started a slow rhythm. Sasuke's fingers hitting the blonde's prostrate, Naruto's mouth nipping and sucking at the Uchiha's seal. The blonde bit down on Sasuke's shoulder and groaned as he came, pushing the dark haired male into his own orgasm. He gasped and pulled his hands away from the blonde's body as Naruto continued to stimulate his length. The blonde didn't stop until the Uchiha was spent, he groaned and tried to bat the tan hand away.

"Don't fall on me." Sasuke panted. He looked up to the blonde and watched an exhausted grin form on reddened, slightly puffy, lips. The Uchiha smiled at his fiancé and watched him lean to one side before collapsing onto the bed.

"I should call in sick." Naruto sighed. Still breathing heavily, the blonde flopped his arm down on his bed partner's leg and started to caress the clothed, inner thigh. "Want to stay here, with you." Sasuke snorted and moved to tuck himself back into his pants. The blonde continued to move his hand, his fingers brushing over sensitive skin through the material, prolonging the Uchiha's afterglow as his skin tingled in pleasure. "Did you know the baby's gender in your dream?" Naruto suddenly asked.

"It was just a dream, Dobe." Sasuke let his gaze move from the hand on his thigh to Naruto's face, giving him a raised eyebrow look.

"I know but maybe your subconscious has a clue." The blonde moved to sit up and raised his hand to the swell of his fiancé's belly. He pressed his cheek into the Uchiha's shoulder and smiled hopefully.

"So you do want to know the gender?" Sasuke asked. The dark haired male raised an eyebrow and watched Naruto lean closer, kissing him on the mouth.

"No, I mean, I want to know what you think the gender is." He moved to kiss Sasuke's cheek back down to his shoulder, nuzzling it with his cheek.

"I don't know." The Uchiha murmured. Raising a hand, the pregnant male ran his hands through blonde hair and began to pet Naruto's head.

"If you had to guess." Naruto said softly. He thought about it for a few seconds, debating how he would respond.

"It could be a girl or a boy." Sasuke finally answered. The blonde raised his head and furrowed his eyebrows at the dark haired male. When the Uchiha only raised his eyebrows in response, Naruto puffed out his cheeks and pouted.

"You're really no fun sometimes." He muttered. That made the pregnant male chuckle and he flicked a finger against one of Naruto's ears before continuing to card through soft, blonde hair.

* * *

**October twenty third, still the twenty-fourth week,**

"I guess today's the big day." Yamato did a full turn in the middle of the street, getting a full view of Naruto's hard work. Furniture was neatly organized from the gate to nearly the end of the street; full dining room table sets and bed sets were closest to the gate. Almost completed sets were next, followed by similar furniture and then the odd and random pieces at the very end.

"Yup, finally got everything ready." Naruto laced his fingers behind his head and grinned exuberantly. Sasuke remained silent and all three men started to walk forward, the blonde pointing to the first street on the left. Apricot was sitting at a desk that had been pushed just barely onto the side street, a large corkboard propped up against the side of the house next to her.

"You're going to have her help?" The older male asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Only to keep an eye on the keys." Sasuke responded. "No one will dare to go near her which means I don't have to keep an eye on them." Apricot smiled nervously at them before drumming her fingertips against the solid wood. "Naruto will do the rest of the work." Nodding, the blonde raised his hands in his favorite signs.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" He cried out. Puffs of white smoke surrounded them and Sasuke blinked in surprise at the amount. Over a hundred clones surrounded them, all grinning at the three of them.

"Where's Kakashi?" The brunette male questioned. Sasuke waved at the clones and watched them start to disperse, a dozen or so running straight to the end of the street, probably to stop anyone from venturing any farther. A few jumped onto the rooftops, half a dozen slipped out the gate, and the rest dispersed throughout the street.

"Out on a mission, Iruka's teaching at the academy." Naruto answered. They started to follow the clones that had run to the end of the street and the dark haired male readjusted his sweater, it was starting to get colder.

"I'm going to go hide out in my apartment until this all blows over then." Yamato sighed and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. They continued past the clones, making it to the end of the street and stopped. Yamato might have been on his way to his apartment but both Naruto and Sasuke were staying.

"Good idea, I was thinking I'd do the same myself." Sakura called out. She was a few yards away from them and waved when they glanced in her direction. "It's going to be strange having so many people in here for once." Naruto wrapped an arm around Sasuke's waist.

"We're hoping that it'll stay that way, right Sasuke?" The blonde pulled the pregnant male's body closer, his fingers brushing against Sasuke's pregnant stomach.

"Hn." He answered. Both Sakura and Naruto grinned; Yamato raised his hand to rub at his eyes, sighing under his breath.

"Go home, Yamato. It looks like you could use the sleep." Sakura tilted her head, looking the older man over and clinically assessing his appearance. "How are you doing, Sasuke?" She turned her head over to the pregnant male and gave Sasuke a once over.

"As good I was yesterday." The Uchiha said. Sakura seemed satisfied with the answer; she nodded and turned her attention back to Yamato.

"Hey!" One of the Naruto clones yelled from the gate. "People are heading this way!" Yamato raised his hand to the clone and then nodded to the younger men.

"I'll see you all tomorrow." The older male stuck his hands in his pockets before he started walking away and Sakura started to follow him, smiling at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Have fun dealing with the civilians!" She called out to them. Sasuke watched the blonde wave goodbye to their old teammate and waited for the pink haired woman to completely turn around before resting his cheek on Naruto's shoulder.

"You okay? Warm enough?" His fiancé questioned. The two men turned back to the street, the clones watching them as they returned to the first side street where Apricot was sitting. Kyoko lifted her head from the desk when she heard them walk up and straightened in her seat. "You have that extra jacket I gave you?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, here." Apricot turned her upper body around in the chair and pulled a black fleece jacket off of the back of it. She stood up, leaning over the table to hand it over to the blonde who took it.

"Thanks." Sasuke murmured as Naruto moved to help the Uchiha put it on. He zipped it up, nearly sighing in relief when it fit over his six-month pregnant stomach and was still baggy. "Think you can handle the hagglers?" The Uchiha pulled at the hem of the jacket down as he looked up and gave his fiancé an appraising look.

"There won't be any haggling, the prices are take it or leave it." Naruto raised both his hands, making quotation marks. "We're 'selling it all for practically nothing, anyway', or so Kakashi told me." The blonde rolled his eyes and let his hands drop down to his sides again.

"Good." Sasuke responded softly. "I guess that leaves me to show people interested in renting around the apartments and houses." He frowned at the idea and turned away from the redheaded girl, intent on finding a comfortable chair to sit in nearby.

"Hey, it won't be so bad." Naruto tried to comfort him. Sasuke looked to the blonde and gave him a cold stare before sitting down in a chair. The blonde wasn't deterred as he got down on his knees and smiled happily. "If anything, you can just distract them with pregnancy talk." He gently set his hand on Sasuke's stomach and leaned forward to press his lips to the fleece jacket.

"Usuratonkachi." Sasuke half-heartedly admonished. Naruto's hand moved across his stomach, reaching for the Uchiha's hand as he shifted in his kneeling position. Taking Sasuke's hand in his own, the blonde brought it to his lips to kiss the pale knuckles. He held Naruto's gaze curiously, knowing immediately that he was up to something and nearly missed the feeling of something metal slip onto his finger. Shifting his gaze, Sasuke stared at the plain metal band and blinked but the ring remained on his finger.

"This is why I was taking on extra perimeter shifts." The blonde explained. He kissed Sasuke's fingers a second time and sat back, nervously biting his lip. Sasuke had to remind himself to breathe as he watched Naruto play with a second band of metal now around his own finger and felt his awareness of the world close in on the blonde.

It was almost a surreal experience, he could feel his body moving to stand up and watched as Naruto did the same, looking concerned. Reaching up, Sasuke took Naruto's face between his hands and mashed their lips together. He pressed his body against the blonde's and for a long moment, Naruto didn't respond. Slowly, tentative hands were placed around Sasuke's waist and the blonde finally started to move his lips.

"Oi! Did you give it to him yet?" One of Naruto's clones called out. Sasuke ignored the clone in favor for letting his hands descend down Naruto's shoulders to interlace their fingers together. The rings pressing against their hands sent goosebumps down his arms and he found himself fervently attempting to suck the blonde's face off. When they pulled apart, Sasuke inhaled deeply and his eyes went immediately down to their hands.

"I-do you like it?" The real Naruto asked breathlessly. For a few seconds, his lips twitched uncontrollably before he gave up the pretense and smiled. He watched the blonde light up in relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Idiot." Sasuke responded. The blonde looked down to their hands, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

"You don't have to wear it if you-" Naruto had started to say. The Uchiha immediately leaned in again, kissing his fiancé hard to shut him up. When he leaned back, the blonde was staring at him with wide eyes.

"I don't need a wedding," He raised his hand up and looked Naruto in the eye. "All I need is this, knowing that you will always love me." Sasuke lowered his hand and stared at the blonde adamantly. He watched the way those baby blue eyes softened and the pregnant male couldn't stop himself from looking down to his hand again.

"Got it." Naruto murmured softly. Sasuke glanced back up and realized that he had just made a huge confession. His face started to heat up and crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"Go on, we have the compound to open." The Uchiha jerked his head to the gate and then took a quick glance. While they had been, distracted by their conversation, people had started to trickle in. It seemed the clones had been making sure they weren't disturbed but more than a few civilians were watching them with great interest. The blonde leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to the Uchiha's cheek before stepping past him.

"And this time, it's open for good." Naruto stated with a grin. Sasuke lifted his head in acknowledgement as he sat back down in his chair. He looked down to his hand and started to play with the metal band around his ring finger. It was going to take some getting used to.


	31. Open For Good: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points, brownie points, and props all go to Emirri (FFN) for coming up with the idea of the baby names used in this chapter!

**October twenty-ninth, the twenty-fifth week,**

"I can't believe people are still coming in and looking at furniture." Sakura sighed as she collapsed into a chair next the Uchiha. The pregnant male looked up from the sheaf of papers in his hands and raised his eyebrows at the pink haired woman.

"Hn." He dropped the papers onto the desk in front of him and surveyed the street. Most of the full dining sets and bed sets had been sold within the first day and by the end of the third day they had gotten rid of the very last. By the seventh day, the rows of furniture had dwindled to just barely two houses long and the amount of visitors down to a slow trickle.

"How many people have already signed leases?" She nodded to the papers curiously.

"Nearly a dozen, another twenty people that were interested and more than I could count that weren't." Sasuke set his hand on his stomach, playing with the ring on his finger almost absentmindedly, almost.

"Still getting a lot of people curious about your, unique situation?" The pink haired woman asked derisively.

"Most just tended to stare." He answered. Sasuke turned his attention to one of Naruto's clones that was talking animatedly with Ayame. She had nervously asked the dark haired male about apartments but had politely refused when he said he could show her a few. Now though, she seemed to be quickly talked into it by the smiling clone.

"Well, I just wanted to stop and see how you were doing, I've got a shift at the hospital." Sasuke turned his attention back to his old teammate and shrugged his shoulders.

"Naruto's got everything under control." The Uchiha sighed. He motioned to the clones before picking up the papers again.

"Good, I'll see you tonight at Iruka and Kakashi's for dinner." She set her hand on Sasuke's shoulder, squeezed once and then stood up. The Uchiha hummed wordlessly as she left and returned his attention to the papers in his hand. At the bottom of each page was the address of the house the lease and the signature of the person who was going to move in on the first of January. It was almost unbelievable that people were going to be really moving in. The sound of hushed voices broke his concentration and he glanced up. A group of three women were huddled almost across the street from him and all three of them looked away as his gaze landed on them. Sasuke shifted his gaze and watched the woman out of the corner of his eye as he discretely motioned to one of the clones. The whispers started up again almost immediately, making it obvious that they were talking about him. Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek to keep from showing them a physical reaction. He discretely caught the attention of one of the clones and motioned for him to come closer. Sasuke had dealt with this sort of thing after the massacre but that didn't mean he had to deal with it alone this time.

"Excuse me." A female voice called out loudly. Dark eyes darted to the approaching blonde and he leaned back, most likely out of shock. "If you aren't going to buy anything, I suggest you leave, now." Ino Yamanaka stepped up to the group of women and jerked her head in the direction of the compound gate. All three women stared at the formidable longhaired blonde with gaping mouths.

"You heard her." Naruto stepped up next to Ino and crossed his arms over his chest in a mostly successful attempt to be menacing. "It's time for you to go." The women glanced to each other before quickly taking their leave without another word. Ino grinned as they watched the women leave and then punched the clone in the shoulder. "Hey! What was that for?"

"I could have handled it myself." She frowned at the clone. Sasuke watched the clone glance over to him and he raised his eyebrow in response. He didn't know why Ino was here and could only guess why she had defended him.

"Sasuke told me to come over here!" Naruto whined quietly. He stepped away from Ino and looked to Sasuke again, his bright gaze curious and concerned. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes at the clone and then glanced to Ino, motioning for her to walk over. He regarded the blonde woman carefully as she walked up to the desk and stopped in front of it, looking uncomfortable.

"Can I sit down?" Ino asked. She flicked her gaze to the chair that Sakura had vacated pointedly. For a second, the Uchiha just stared at her, internally debating bringing Naruto's clone back over. Finally, he jerked his head to the chair and watched the tension simply fade from Ino's posture. She sat down, crossed her legs and looked straight at Sasuke.

"Thank you." He murmured grudgingly. Shifting in his own seat, he awkwardly watched her for a reaction. Ino looked back to the front gate of the compound and then to the Uchiha with a shrug of her shoulders. She tried to hide a growing blush and flipped her ponytail back, forcing herself to meet Sasuke's gaze.

"Still in the honeymoon stage?" Ino asked. Raising an eyebrow at her, he pressed his thumb against the ring and started to play with it, knowing that the strong willed woman could see him doing it from the corner of her eye.

"We're not even married yet." Sasuke responded. Ino rolled her eyes.

"He bought you a ring. You've had that shit eating grin on your face all week." Sasuke stared at her blankly. "Your version of a shit eating grin." Ino amended with another, more exaggerated, roll of her eyes.

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?" The Uchiha bit out. He knew it came off harsh but Ino didn't seem affected by his tone as she waved her hand back and forth as she shook her head.

"No, no." Ino set her hands on her lap and made sure the pregnant male was looking at her. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior the last few weeks." She paused and drummed her fingers against her knee nervously. "I was upset because Sakura and Shikamaru didn't tell me you were pregnant and it wasn't any of my business to begin with." She seemed to realize she had started to ramble and looked away apologetically. "But I'm your friend, at least I thought I was, and I felt that I had the right to know. What I want to say, what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry. You deserve to be happy." Hearing the confession that she had been wrong and a complete apology, shocked didn't quite seem to cover what Sasuke was experiencing. Not knowing what to do, the Uchiha paused in playing with his ring and stared at Ino. She couldn't seem to stare at one point for more than a few seconds and quickly started to fidget. Shifting in the chair, she uncrossed her legs, tucked her feet under the seat and then quickly crossed them again. She turned her head as she tried to hide the way she bit on her lips and that was when Sasuke realized that she was really uncomfortable.

"So," Ino turned her gaze back onto him cautiously. "Am I forgiven?" It still took another moment for the dark haired male to fully wrap his mind around what had just happened. When the Uchiha finally got over the initial shock, he glanced away, looking for one of the clones. It would have been so easy to say no, to tell her to fuck off and leave but that wouldn't have been good. It wouldn't have been the right thing to do. Multiple clones were watching them and one of them seemed close enough to hear what was going on, Sasuke watched the clone give him a reassuring smile before he looked away.

"There's nothing to forgive." The Uchiha heard himself say before he had even turned back to face her. When he did, he could see Ino's relief and returned her smile with a twitch of her lips. Her body posture changed, she uncrossed her legs and dropped her shoulders as she leaned back in her chair.

"Thanks." Ino breathed. "I was afraid you wouldn't want me to be around anymore. That would have been so awkward considering we have the same friends." She started to ramble again but shut herself up as soon as she realized that the pregnant male had begun glaring at her.

"If I did that," Sasuke dropped his glare and set his hand on his stomach as he repositioned himself. "Who would be there to keep Sakura sane?" The blonde woman chuckled and the Uchiha looked down to his ring before he started to play with it, nervous about what he was going to say next. "And who else would open up a flower shop in here?" That got the woman's attention and her head moved so fast Sasuke was almost sure she had given herself whiplash.

"You're serious?" Ino asked incredulously. He raised his eyebrows and glanced out at the street, past the people, Naruto's clones, and the furniture. The street was lined with empty buildings, all of them shops with small apartments and one-person studios above them. Of course he was serious.

"There are plenty of commercial spaces available all over the compound." He raised his hand and pointed to a side of the street in example and watched as Ino glanced to the buildings. "You can have your pick of them." She turned back to him with wide blue eyes, not deep blue like Naruto's but a shocked pale blue. Sasuke knew she was in shock and had to keep himself from grinning.

"You want me to open up shop in here?" Ino nearly whispered. The Uchiha rolled his eyes with a sigh, was it really so hard for her to grasp? He could hear one of the clones approaching them, having seen that the storm had already blown over and briefly wondered if his fiancé could get her to snap out of it.

"And move in too, if you want." Naruto set his hands on the table and leaned forward, grinning widely. Sasuke watched the woman look to the clone and then back to him, a wide, overly exuberant smile growing from her daze. Suddenly, she was out of her chair, arms already around Sasuke's shoulders in a hug with her long blonde hair hitting him in the face.

"You guys are the best!" Ino squealed. She pulled away from the shocked Uchiha and grabbed the clone by his orange jacket to pull him into a hug with the table still between them. Sasuke let out a sigh of relief and sat back to watch the two blondes struggle, one in happiness and the other attempting to escape.

"Hey, watch it! You're going to make me disappear." Naruto laughed cautiously. The blonde gently pat Ino's shoulder, waiting for her to finally let go of him before he really smiled. "You want me to show you a couple places?"

"Yeah, you gonna be okay here by yourself, Sasuke?" Ino asked. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her and pointed to the street that was littered with clones.

"I've got Naruto here to keep me company. Go on." The Uchiha waved her away and repositioned himself in his seat. She smiled and waved goodbye to him as she ran around the desk and grabbed the clone by the scruff of his jacket.

"Woah! Take it easy, Ino!" Naruto cried out. The Uchiha watched the clone being dragged away and puckered his lips just enough to be considered a kissing motion and smirked.

"Where does Sakura live? Are there any shops with a second floor studio nearby her place?" Ino asked as she and the clone disappeared down the street, in the general direction of where her best friend lived. Sasuke had a few moments to himself before he heard someone approaching his desk again. He looked up to find someone who seemed to have been avoiding him the past few weeks and someone he had been meaning to talk to. Shikamaru Nara. The stern looking man was in his flak jacket, hands stuffed in his pockets and looking a little more than disinterested.

"Shikamaru." Sasuke stated calmly.

"Sasuke." The lazy genius monotonously replied. They stared at each other for a couple long seconds but Sasuke was the first to look away. He glanced down to his hands and the sheaf of papers on his desk.

"Come to collect?" The Uchiha asked. Looking back up, Sasuke watched the lazy genius raise an eyebrow at him.

"On what?" Shikamaru questioned. "I just wanted to see that Ino apologized to you properly." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and wondered if the lazy genius had been watching them or if he just watched his teammate walk into the compound.

"She did." The Uchiha answered softly.

"Good." He replied with a nod. They were at a silent stalemate and Sasuke watched the genius shift his weight in a purposefully awkward manner.

"Did Naruto tell you what he was planning?" The pregnant male raised his hand with the ring on it because it didn't take a genius to figure out what he was talking about. Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders as he glanced to the metal band on the Uchiha's finger.

"He claimed it was to save some money for the baby before you two went on maternity leave." Sasuke watched him roll his eyes and knew the lazy genius had known it was a lie. "I had a few guesses as to what he was really up to."

"You suspected he was going to propose on his birthday." He set his hand back down on the desk as he pointedly accused the man in front of him. Shikamaru snorted in response, moving closer so he could lean against the side of the desk.

"He hadn't worked enough to buy a decent pair of wedding rings at that point but it explained why he wouldn't leave your side." The lazy genius murmured. That piqued the Uchiha's interest and he leaned back in his chair.

"So you knew." Sasuke pointed out. Shikamaru turned his upper body to look at the pregnant male and tilted his head.

"I had a hunch." He answered. The Uchiha exhaled softly and glanced to the pile of leases on his desk.

"So what did my idiot promise you in return for being scheduled extra perimeter shifts?" He asked. The man with the ponytail frowned and regarded Sasuke carefully.

"He did m _e_ a favor. Putting that schedule together every week is troublesome." Shikamaru raised his voice at the right syllable and at the right decibel to imitate incredulity but Sasuke didn't buy it for a minute.

"What was it?" He repeated. The brunette sighed and for the first time in the conversation, conceded.

"All I want is an apartment with rooftop access and a good view." Shikamaru set his hand on the desk and hardened his stare. Taken aback at the adamant refusal to answer, Sasuke blinked wildly as he mentally made a list of locations the man would like.

"I can think of a few places." Sasuke hummed. "Grab one of Naruto's clones and tell him you want to see apartment rooftops." He motioned to the dozen in the street but Shikamaru didn't glance over to them.

"As tempting as what he promised was, I won't accept it. I gave him those shifts because he's my friend." The jonin stated seriously. Surprised at the declaration, Sasuke took a second to decide on a response.

"He didn't do two shifts back-to-back the entire time he was taking extra perimeter duty which is what he would have done if he'd been able to. You took care of him." He declared quietly. Shikamaru's lip twitched but he didn't deny it. "If an apartment with a view is good enough for you, I don't see the point in arguing." They continued to stare at each other for another moment before Shikamaru blinked and turned his head, looking away to hide any micro-expressions he might slip.

"Your much easier to convince than Naruto." The lazy genius declared.

"Naruto can be, troublesome, at times." Sasuke replied. He used Shikamaru's favorite word purposely and smirked when sharp brown eyes looked his way again.

"Nothing you can't handle." The genius responded. Smirking smugly, Sasuke let his gaze wander over the street to watch Naruto's clones.

"What did he promise you?" He asked again. Shikamaru again seemed hesitant to answer, his eyebrows furrowing together for a moment.

"A year's worth of free rent of an apartment." Was the man's answer and Sasuke watched Shikamaru curiously for a reaction.

"That is tempting." Tilting his head with a lopsided smile he usually reserved for Naruto, Sasuke watched Shikamaru glance to him before scoffing. The lazy genius pushed off of the desk and waved over one of the blonde clones. The dark haired male watched him talk to a clone for a few minutes and he nodded to the blonde when he glanced in his direction.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called out. The pregnant male turned his head and dropped his smirk as soon as he saw who had walked into the compound and down the street. It seemed like the Hokage and Shizune had stopped to inspect an overly large desk and one of the clones was not so discretely trying to catch Sasuke's attention. Getting up with more than a fair bit of concern, the pregnant male made his way over to the two women and the clone. Naruto tried to mouth something to the Uchiha but he had never been good at mouthing, even with Sasuke's skills at lip reading. Tsunade didn't bother looking up as the pregnant male came closer but Shizune immediately looked up and smiled warmly. Stepping up next to the clone, the Uchiha cleared his throat softly and nodded to Shizune as Tsunade slowly turned away from the desk.

"I'd ask how much but I really do like the desk that's already in my office." The Hokage sighed and took a long look at the pregnant male. "You're looking plump today." Sasuke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his baby bump.

"You should come back tomorrow, I'll be even bigger then." Tsunade scoffed with a nod and looked around the street, almost contemplatively. "What are you looking for?"

"A decent space for the reception." The Hokage tried to make it sound as an offhand statement but Sasuke knew what she was talking about. He jerked his head over to Naruto and glared at the clone but Naruto took a step back, his expression innocent confusion.

"You're planning it?" Sasuke growled. He turned his glare back to older blonde but she held his glare with a lofty gaze of her own. Naruto tried to set his hand on the Uchiha's shoulder but it was shaken off quickly. If he didn't understand what they were talking about, he'd figure it out sooner or later.

"Someone has to do it since you two seem occupied with, other things." Tsunade grinned and Sasuke couldn't stop one of his eyes from twitching.

"You didn't even think about asking us? What about what we want?" Sasuke hissed angrily. Naruto tried to step in between them but the Uchiha held out his arm and stopped him. Shizune sucked in her lower lip and shifted behind the Hokage, it seemed he was still able to unnerve her and he softened his glare, taking a step back. He actually liked the younger woman a lot more than the leader of their village and felt, maybe a little bad about scaring her.

"Well, that's why we're here." Shizune added in softly. "It's your wedding, it should be how you want it." Naruto chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head, looking more than a little uncomfortable.

"I don't really know what needs to be done for a wedding." Naruto looked between Sasuke and Tsunade, watching them have a stare off.

"It's all very simple." Tsunade waved her hand at him. "I'll be the one officiating your wedding, we've got all the paperwork already figured out save for your signatures, and it looks like you two already have rings." The Hokage nodded to the ring prominently showing on the Uchiha's finger before looking to Naruto, searching for the other ring they all knew was there.

"The ceremony would be held in the Hokage's office, with a small group of friends that you want to attend. Food wouldn't be too hard, though I still haven't gotten the cake order confirmed since I don't know that flavors that you two like." Shizune added as she tapped her chin with a pointer finger. Sasuke looked between the two women and clenched his fists tightly to keep himself from snapping at them.

"Your eye is twitching, relax." Naruto murmured softly. He slipped his fingers into Sasuke's hair and kissed his forehead, the Uchiha inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly, forcing the tension to leave his body.

"You can wear whatever you want, say your own vows or pound his face in," The blonde woman pointed to Naruto and grinned at her own humor. "Everything else will be taken care of so all you two have to do is say 'I do', eat some cake, and spend the beginning of Sasuke's maternity leave enjoying your honeymoon." Tsunade sighed and Sasuke looked back to her with a narrowed gaze.

"When is this taking place, exactly?" The pregnant male asked. He watched the blonde woman's smirk grow and she glanced over to her assistant.

"We decided November fifth would be just as good as any day, right Shizune?" Sasuke felt his stomach drop as he calculated how many days stood between then and now. Naruto settled his arm around the Uchiha's shoulders but he wasn't going to have it. Elbowing the clone in the gut, he felt the cloud of smoke dispel beside him and glowered at the two women.

"That's in a week!" He hissed. Tsunade nodded smugly but as she opened her mouth to say something, Naruto interrupted them.

"Sasuke, calm down!" One of the clones called out from down the street. Sasuke glanced to him, watching him jog their way and scowled.

"You can't seriously expect us to accept this." He snarled angrily. Tsunade's eyebrows rose and she looked to Shizune, which only made the pregnant male angrier.

"Seven days is more than enough time to prepare." The Hokage scoffed. "I don't see what you're complaining about." Sasuke grit his teeth together to keep from cursing at the older woman. Naruto's clone finally reached them and bent over next to the Uchiha, breathing heavily while trying to smile apologetically to Shizune and Tsunade.

"Teme, you know freaking out isn't good for you right now, you're stressing yourself out." The blonde sighed. He straightened up and looked Sasuke over, tentatively reaching out to touch his protruding stomach.

"Right, well I did what I came to do. Now Shizune owes me a drink." Tsunade stated calmly. She waved her hand and immediately walked off, her assistant trailing after with a frown.

"Hokage-sama, I never said that. You shouldn't even be drinking while you're working!" The dark haired woman called out but Sasuke and the clone watched Tsunade continue to walk away.

"Fuck!" Sasuke whispered under his breath. Pushing his bangs out of his eyes, the Uchiha turned and faced the blonde. "I just, it's so soon." Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek hard as he started to feel anxious, the feeling welling up in his gut. He turned his gaze on the Hokage and his assistant as they walked through the open gates of the compound.

"Yeah, I know." Naruto sighed. "But like you said, it's just a piece of paper." The Uchiha glanced to him and watched the clone grin. "It's not going to really change anything between us." Sasuke paused in the gnawing of his inner cheek as he looked at the clone almost incredulously. His anxiety at the situation seemed to melt away at Naruto's attempt to tease him. He leaned forward and planted a solid kiss on Naruto's cheek. Grinning, the blonde clone stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders.

"Idiot, you couldn't have agreed with me earlier?" The Uchiha grumbled.

* * *

**October thirtieth, still the twenty-fifth week,**

"What if we just pick purple?" Naruto asked. He held the multiple paint chips to his face, focus switching from one white strip of laminated paper with shades of color to another with a bored expression. Sasuke looked from across the room to him and sighed, setting the book of paint chips down in front of him.

"We're not using purple." He stated plainly. The blonde glanced up to the Uchiha and frowned. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, daring Naruto to say otherwise in a nonaggressive manner.

"Why not?" Naruto asked. Taking a glance around the empty guest room, Sasuke eyed the several rectangular paint chips they had taped to several walls, debating colors.

"It's too dark a color." He looked back down to the book in front of him and listened to Naruto sigh. Sasuke watching him out of the corner of his eye, the blonde let himself fall onto his side.

"What if it's a light purple?" Naruto questioned innocently. The Uchiha stopped himself from snapping at the blonde and regarded him carefully. Thinking about how he wanted to respond to Naruto's persistent desire to use this one color.

"We're not painting the baby's room purple." Sasuke repeated obstinately. Naruto gave him a pleading look but if they were going to play the stubborn game, he was going to win.

"It's a gender neutral color." The blonde defended his choice. He moved to sit back up with a sigh and leaned against the wall. Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Dark purple is a gender neutral color, light purple is a girl's color." The Uchiha explained. He set his hand on his swollen stomach and leaned over, reaching for a three-ringed booklet of paint chips, immediately picking out one with four different shades of purple.

"No it's not." Naruto's eyes darted to the paint chip the Uchiha was holding up as his brows furrowed. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him, looked at the paint chip and then pointed to the lightest color.

"Did you ever wear lilac purple when you were a kid?" The pregnant male questioned. Naruto opened his mouth, paused, and then shut his mouth again, crossing his arms over his chest. Waving the paint chip in his hand, Sasuke smirked at the blonde, knowing that if he said yes he would get teased mercilessly and if he said no he would be losing this fight.

"Okay, fine. Light purple is _normally_ a girl's color." Naruto conceded. He lifted his hands and dropped them against his thighs in exasperation, letting his head fall back and hit the wall with a dull thud. "Green isn't though." The blonde added with a grin. Sasuke shook his head and flipped through the paint chips, looking at the greens.

"You know green can go wrong. Neon green, puke green, dark green so dark it looks black." The Uchiha stated. Naruto frowned and let his hands fall into his lap loudly, exasperated.

"What color did you have in mind then?" The blonde asked. Sasuke was silent for a moment, set the paint chip book down and shook his head.

"Not purple, red, or green." He murmured. "Obviously black, white, and gray are out as well." Sighing, Sasuke flipped through the book of paint chips, randomly looking at each page of slightly varying colors.

"I'd rather talk about baby names." Naruto complained. The Uchiha glanced up from the book with an aggravated stare and the blonde grinned in response. "Have you thought about any new ones since we last talked about it?" Sasuke let out a sigh, looking back down at the book of colors.

"Some, none of them sound right though." He answered. Naruto shifted, splaying his legs out so that the Uchiha could see his feet out of his peripheral vision.

"Yeah? I was thinking about some too but I don't know if you'd like to hear them." Sasuke looked up to watch the blonde shrug his shoulders, fingers tapping restlessly against the paint chips.

"Tell me, they can't be that bad." The Uchiha responded with a curious frown. Naruto bit his lower lip as he eyed the pregnant male, deciding if he should tell him or not.

"Well, if it's a girl I think a good name might be Kushina, or maybe Mikoto." The blonde didn't look away as Sasuke nearly went slack jawed in shock and gave his fiancé a reassuring smile. "We don't have to add them to the list if you don't want-"

"No," Sasuke interrupted him in an unsteady voice. Naruto watched him take a steadying breath before continuing. "I'd like that, naming her after one of our mothers." Their baby started to kick and Sasuke lifted his hand to his side, making sure to keep his breathing even.

"Okay," The blonde sighed in relief, a bright smile forming quickly. "And if it's a boy, would you want to name him after our fathers?" He tilted his head curiously but more confident than he had just been. Sasuke's mind was whirling at the idea, memories of his childhood that he didn't want to think about as he met his fiancé's hopeful gaze.

"No, not Fugaku. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." He stated adamantly. Naruto blinked and nodded quickly, knowing that it would ease the Uchiha's case of nerves. Sasuke sighed, setting his hands on top of the page of paint chips and tilted his head back, resting it against the plain wall.

"It's not fair if I have two names from my family and you only have one," The blonde started tentatively. Sasuke lowered his head again, watching the blonde attentively. "What about," Naruto hesitated. "What about Itachi?" That made the dark haired male look away, a bubble of something rising in his chest and making it hard for him to breathe. It didn't feel like guilt but the Uchiha didn't know what else he was feeling.

"We don't even know if it'll be a boy." The Uchiha nearly whispered. He looked back to his fiancé and found the blonde watching him closely. Giving the blonde a small nod, he took several deep breaths until the feeling subsided. His husband waited patiently for him to calm down and slouched, relaxing on the other side of the room.

"Maybe we should have asked to know the gender, then we'd know to paint it blue or pink rather than trying to make everything gender neutral." Naruto sighed. He'd seamlessly changed the topic back to the color of the baby's room and the pregnant male was grateful for the rare show of tact.

"Then our lives would just be too easy." He muttered sarcastically. There was no bite to his words and when Sasuke looked to Naruto to see his reaction, the blonde was trying not to smile. The corners of his lips twitched and his fiancé lost his composure. Breaking out into a chuckle, the blonde quickly broke down into laughter as the Uchiha watched him. Smiling as he watched his fiancé fall onto his side again and curl up on the floor.

"Shit, you're right." Naruto gasped after a few long seconds of laughter. "Knowing our luck though, we'd be told we're getting a girl, paint the whole room pink, get all girly stuff and walk out of the hospital with a baby boy." Sasuke snorted and nodded. He watched his fiancé sit back up and look down at all the paint chips in front of him. Naruto picked up a pain chip and tossed it at the Uchiha. It fell short, landing a couple inches from his feet and on top of other paint chips.

"Dobe." He muttered. Sasuke watched the blonde pick up another one and aim at him again, hitting the pregnant male in the shoulder. He brushed it away but Naruto shook his head and pointed to it.

"What color is it?" The blonde asked excitedly. Unsure what he was getting at, the Uchiha picked it up and looked at the array of tones of a single color.

"Yellow." He answered. Looking up to the blonde, he leaned forward and repositioned himself, his back starting to hurt from leaning against the unforgiving surface.

"Like a sunflower yellow, or a bumblebee yellow?" Naruto grinned. Sasuke sighed and looked for the black letters underneath one of the blocks of color for its name.

"Egg custard yellow." He answered. His fiancé gave him a bewildered look before getting onto his hands and knees and crawling to the other side of the room. Sasuke flipped the paint chip around for the blonde to see and tried not to grin as Naruto crawled up, stopping next to him and leaned in close.

"That's a color?" Hot breath brushed against Sasuke's cheek, Naruto's warmth enveloping his side as he took a look at the thing in the Uchiha's hand. Not sure if the blonde was doing it consciously, he decided not to react even though his body immediately took interest.

"Or pollen, or whatever 'cautious yellow' is. Take your pick." The Uchiha held the piece of the laminated paper up for the blonde to take but the blonde just leaned in closer, resting his hand on the dark haired male's thigh. Sasuke forced himself to continue breathing evenly, though he was mostly sure the blonde was arousing him on purpose. "Why don't we just wait until the baby's born?" Naruto glanced to him and set the paint chip down, his hand still firmly set on Sasuke's thigh.

"Yeah? You good with just pink and blue then?" The blonde murmured. The dark haired male swore that his fiancé's voice dropped a few octaves and as he turned his head to him, Naruto kissed him. Sasuke accepted the soft pair of lips, feeling the hand on his leg start to move, rubbing his inner thigh.

"What are you doing?" The Uchiha asked into the blonde's mouth. Naruto's hand continued to move across his thigh teasingly and Sasuke lost his train of thought. The minutes slipped by as the blonde coaxed him into a long, slow kiss and Sasuke found himself wondering why he was being kissed. "Dobe." Sasuke tilted his head backwards and away from his fiancé's lips. Eyeing the blonde, he watched Naruto look to his lips and then down to his hand that was dangerously close to Sasuke's quickly growing erection.

"Trying to change the subject." Naruto murmured. He leaned in again for another kiss but the Uchiha raised his hand and pressed his thumb against the blonde's lips.

"What for?" Sasuke asked. He wanted to smirk as Naruto nearly went cross-eyed looking at the offending finger. Grabbing Sasuke's hand, the blonde pulled it away from his mouth and held it open, kissing the pale palm softly. When Sasuke continued to watch him, Naruto finally relented.

"We have to make a list of people to invite." The blonde murmured. His eyes flickered up to Sasuke's and the Uchiha bit down on his inner cheek again. It was getting to be a bad habit.

"I don't want to talk about the wedding." Pulling his hand away, Sasuke shoved the paint chips away from him and moved to stand up. Being careful of his stomach, he leaned against the wall and felt Naruto move beside him, gripping his upper arm and setting his hand on the Uchiha's lower back.

"Teme, its in six days." Once they were both standing up, Sasuke inhaled deeply and pulled away from his fiancé. He walked out of the guest room turned baby room and went straight for their bedroom. "We have to talk about it sometime." Easing himself onto the bed, the Uchiha gave Naruto the stink eye before turning on his side and stretching, his snug fitting sweater riding up over his stomach.

"This sweater is too tight." Sasuke muttered angrily. Naruto sighed and sat down next to the Uchiha, setting his hand on his hip. When the dark haired male didn't say anything else, the blonde settled down beside him. He flung his arm over Sasuke's hip and pressed his nose into the back of the Uchiha's neck.

"You've got at least a dozen more just like it." Naruto whispered. He kissed Sasuke's nape and held the Uchiha with a firm grip.

"I like this one." He muttered back. Grabbing the edge of his sweater, the dark haired male pulled it down and shifted his hips. Sasuke did it on purpose, pressing his backside into the blonde's crotch.

"You want to wear it at our wedding, just one last time?" The blonde asked. He didn't sound flustered even though Sasuke could feel the half-hard erection against him.

"Do we have to talk about this now?" He complained. The male behind him buried his nose in Sasuke's shoulder, his fingers brushing across his pregnant stomach.

"I want our friends to be there." Naruto mumbled. Sasuke frowned and tilted his head into the mattress as he started to gnaw on his cheek again. He didn't want to deal with this but Naruto was right, they had only so many days before the inevitable happened. Exhaling through his nose, the Uchiha covered Naruto's hand with his own and opened his mouth.

"Not Sai." He stated. There was a rustling behind him and Sasuke turned his head to see the blonde raised up on his elbows, grinning happily. "Who do you want to invite?" Naruto practically scrambled up and moved to face his fiancé.

"Sakura, Iruka, Kakashi, Kiba, Hinata, Neji, Shino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Rock Lee, Tenten, Ino, Kurenai-sensei, Asuma-sensei, Teuchi, Ayame, and Yamato, am I forgetting anyone?" Naruto answered gleefully. Sasuke glared as the blonde pressed closer but silently accepted the jostling.

"Too many." He stated. Naruto's expression dropped and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"What? No it's not!" The blonde countered. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and brought his hand to the blonde's cheek, his thumb brushing across Naruto's lower lip.

"That's seventeen people, not including Shizune and Tsunade," He murmured. "Too many." Sasuke slid his gaze upwards and brushed his fingers over Naruto's scarred cheek. The blonde tilted his head into the touch and held Sasuke's gaze for a long moment.

"Well who do you want to disinvite?" Naruto questioned as he closed his eyes. He looked defeated, his voice sounding tired but he was still smiling softly. Sasuke ran his fingers through blonde hair, scratching at the blonde's scalp.

"Can't disinvite someone if they haven't been invited in the first place." The dark haired male reasoned. Naruto opened his eyes, his gaze soft as he bit his lower lip in an attempt to not smile.

"You know what I mean, Teme." The blonde let his hand brush against the Uchiha's stomach, slipping under the black sweater to caress the warm skin. He sighed at the touch and shifted his feet, knocking their ankles together.

"Iruka, Kakashi, and Sakura, everyone else can wait for the reception." Sasuke answered. He leaned forward, twitching his lips in such a way that he knew his fiancé would find irresistible. To his surprise though, Naruto's gaze didn't stray from his eyes and the blonde held strong.

"Why can't everyone come?" He asked. Sasuke furrowed his brow and regarded his fiancé carefully.

"Are you an idiot?" The Uchiha asked almost jokingly. Naruto smiled and shook his head as he continued to rub Sasuke's stomach. Fingertips danced across his skin pleasantly and the Uchiha brushed his own fingers against a tan ear, knowing Naruto liked that.

"Come on, we're getting married in the Hokage's office, there's more than enough room in there for everyone. It also means that not everyone will wait around for the reception, which means less people to get ride of at the end of the day." The blonde reasoned with a grin. Sasuke focused his attention on the perfectly rounded tip of his fiancé's ear and tried to ignore the slightly pleading look Naruto was giving him.

"Fine." The Uchiha relented. Naruto had a valid point and he knew he was just being difficult. He still hadn't wrapped his mind around the idea that they would be together, proven by a legally binding contract, in six days. "What else do we need to discuss?" He felt the hand under his shirt stop moving, gently pressing flat against his baby bump, as if trying to feel for the baby moving. Letting his own hand slip down Naruto's head to his neck and shoulder, Sasuke met a soft, blue-eyed gaze.

"What should we wear?" Naruto nearly whispered. He shifted next to the Uchiha, moving even closer so that their noses were almost touching. Sasuke let his hand rest on Naruto's waist and let the blonde press their calves and knees together.

"Suits? Or our flak jackets?" The Uchiha questioned. Feeling the hand under his shirt start to move again, Sasuke did the same on the blonde's hip. His erection that had waned at the start of the wedding conversation was slowly coming back to life under the fairly heavy petting and made the crotch of his pants feel tight.

"Suits are expensive, even if we rent them." Naruto murmured. "And you can't really wear your flak jacket properly. What about civilian clothes, formal ones?" Sasuke slipped the tips of his fingers under the blonde's black t-shirt, tracing the skin that met the waistband of his pants.

"Would I be wearing white?" He let his voice drop to a husky whisper and felt Naruto's knees knock against his. The blonde was shifting his lower body and then licked his lips, most likely as aroused as Sasuke was.

"Nah, not a completely white outfit. It doesn't suit you." Naruto replied softly. "Me though, I have to wear orange." The Uchiha raised an eyebrow but the blonde's statement was not completely unexpected. Bringing his hand down to Naruto's abdomen, he felt his partner's defined abs and briefly felt a pang of jealousy. He missed being in shape like his lover was, missed the rush of endorphins he got when he worked out.

"Anything but your jumpsuit." Sasuke said as he brought his thoughts back to the present. Naruto blinked and the hand on the Uchiha's stomach paused for a second. It was obvious his fiancé hadn't expected that as an answer. Taking the momentary confusion in stride, Sasuke set his hand back on top of the blonde's hip, over his pants and started to stroke Naruto's thigh.

"I thought I'd have to fight tooth and nail with you on that one." Letting the corners of his lips quirk upwards, Sasuke felt the blonde's hand drift lower over the curvature of his abdomen.

"Hn." He responded absentmindedly. What he really wanted to focus on was the movement of his hands and how he repositioned his legs, slipping one of his legs between his fiancé's. His stomach bumped against Naruto's and they paused in their intimate conversation as the blonde bumped his lips against the Uchiha's. For a moment, Sasuke claimed victory in distracting Naruto away from the marriage conversation and then felt a little irritated when he pulled away.

"Flavor of cake?" The blonde asked breathlessly. Stopping himself from huffing loudly and ruining the moment, Sasuke quickly thought of an answer that would make him happy and wouldn't cause a debate.

"Nothing too sweet." He replied. Pressing their lips together again, Sasuke gripped the blonde's hip and felt Naruto's hand dip down to the waistband of his own pants.

"I'll let Shizune know." The blonde whispered breathlessly. Sasuke was getting annoyed with the stalling and slipped his hand under Naruto's waistband, pressing his hand down on bare skin.

"Anything else?" He was daring his fiancé to say anything else and felt Naruto's hand slip just a little closer to his crotch.

"Not that I can think of." The blonde answered. Sasuke smirked, rewarding his lover by slipping his hand past his boxers and gripping his already hard erection. Naruto let out a choked moan, his eyes glazing over and gaze drifting upwards.

"Good." The Uchiha whispered. He felt the blonde's hand reach for his own waistband and smirked when Naruto closed his eyes and smashed their lips together.


	32. Wedding Bells A'Ring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was researching traditional Japanese weddings, I found that the civil/nonreligious ceremonies have recently been modeled on western traditions and since I have never been to, or seen a traditional Japanese wedding, describing one in great detail would have been a research project all on it's own. I did take my own initiative to combine some traditional (stereotypical) American wedding vows as well as common civil marriage vows so if you don't like it...I'm sorry in advance.

**November fifth, the twenty-sixth week,**

"Guess what today is?" That was the first thing Sasuke heard as he was waking up. What he felt was Naruto's hand on his stomach and warm breath brushing against his exposed skin. "Today is the day your daddy and papa are getting married." Sasuke was wide-awake at that, opening his eyes and attempting to keep his breathing even so he wouldn't scare the blonde. Naruto pressed his cheek against Sasuke's stomach, kissing a path up the expanse of pale skin.

"Your daddy is gonna be nervous today but don't worry, I'll make sure he remembers to eat and stay rested." The blonde continued to whisper against the Uchiha's stomach and Sasuke blinked in confusion. Their room was dark and he could only see the shadowy outlines of their closet and bathroom.

"Dobe, what are you doing?" He asked. Feeling the blonde look up, he watched those wonderfully blue eyes in the darkness widen in surprise that the Uchiha was awake.

"Talking to our baby." Naruto answered hesitantly. Sasuke gave the blonde a strange look and watched his fiancé smile apologetically.

"And I'm daddy?" He moved to sit up and the blonde pulled his hands and face away. Resting against the headboard of their bed, the Uchiha pulled down his sleep shirt set his hand on the side of his stomach. The baby had started to move as he did and a small pressure grew on his bladder.

"Um, yeah." Naruto murmured. He eyed Sasuke's stomach but kept his distance, probably in fear that his fiancé was mad for being called 'daddy'. "I was kinda hoping you wouldn't wake up." Sighing, Sasuke raised his hand and motioned for the blonde to come closer. Naruto smiled and leaned back down, flopping his arm over Sasuke's stomach and resting his head on his fiancé's chest.

"Today's the day." Sasuke voiced softly. He let the idea sink into his conscious thoughts, but a week of getting used to the idea hadn't been enough. His stomach started to flutter at the idea and he tried to imagine how he would feel the next time they woke up together. Married.

"Did Tsunade tell you when we needed to be there?" The Uchiha asked quietly. Lifting his hand, Sasuke brushed the back of his fingers against the nape of Naruto's neck gently. He felt the movements of the baby start to slow and Naruto's hand started to stroke his belly.

"The old hag told me to be there at four this afternoon but I've got to be at the gate for perimeter shift this morning." Naruto responded. Sasuke blinked and looked to their window, finally noticing that it was still dark outside.

"What time is it?" The pregnant male asked. He paused in his ministrations to adjust himself, trying not to disrupt his soon-to-be husband's position.

"Really early." Naruto responded. He lifted himself up as the Uchiha resituated and kissed Sasuke's stomach as soon as he settled down again.

"Couldn't sleep?" Sasuke questioned. Feeling the blonde's head nod against his sweater, the dark haired male had to wonder when Naruto actually did wake up, or if he'd slept at all. Replacing his hand, Sasuke carded it through soft hair and closed his eyes.

"Not a chance. Way too nervous." He could hear the grin in Naruto's voice and started to smile a little himself. "What about you?" The Uchiha started to shrug his shoulders before he remembered that Naruto's head was pressed against his stomach and wouldn't be able to see the movement.

"Trying not to think about it." The Uchiha hummed.

"You're much calmer than I thought you'd be." Naruto responded. He seemed to be in awe at his bedmate's calm demeanor but there was something in voice that made the pregnant male uneasy. It wasn't something he could place and he brushed the feeling away, attributing it to his tiredness.

"Hn. Maybe I'll go back to sleep and wake up at a decent hour." Sasuke said right before he yawned.

"Tired?" The nearly whispered question made the dark haired male want to close his eyes and nod.

"Hn." He responded again after a moment.

"Roll over, you gotta sleep on your side." Naruto reminded him. Grunting softly, the dark haired male moved away from his bed partner and onto his side. The blonde moved behind him, his hand slipping under the Uchiha's sweater and onto the warm skin of stomach. Sasuke didn't think too much of it as his mind started to wander it's way back into unconsciousness. It was when the hand quickly started to move south that Sasuke opened his eyes and had to refrain from sighing.

"Dobe." He grunted in sleepy annoyance. The hand immediately stopped in its tracks and he could feel Naruto press his forehead against the back of his neck.

"Are you mad at me for calling you daddy?" Naruto asked. His voice broke mid-sentence and the Uchiha wondered just how much Naruto had slept and how much time he had spent thinking. That feeling that something wasn't quite just right returned, stronger this time.

"We'll have more than enough time for that after we're married." Sasuke responded. He set his hand over the blonde's, over his sweater. Feeling Naruto stiffen behind him, the pregnant male frowned and tightened his grip in response.

"You're not going to back out?" The blonde questioned hesitantly. He didn't believe that Sasuke was going to go through with getting married. The idea of sleep slipped away as anger ripped through his awareness. Eyes snapping open, Sasuke let go of the hand in his grasp and knocked it away as he awkwardly rolled onto his other side, facing his doubting fiancé. Raising his hand up, he closed his fingers around Naruto's neck angrily and leaned in close.

"Do you really think I'm going to leave you standing there?" He hissed. The desire to squeeze the life out of his idiot was nearly overwhelming. After everything they had been through, Naruto still didn't believe in him? "In the Hokage's office with everyone there by yourself?"

"I don't know." He gasped out. Sasuke loosened his grip at the sound in fear that he had been the cause but Naruto let out a choked sob as his body practically vibrated with bottled emotions. "I just-you don't want to get married and I practically forced you into this." The blonde was starting to hysterically babble and the Uchiha listened, his anger dissipating rapidly. This was where the lack of confidence in him was coming from, it wasn't him but what Naruto thought he was forcing him to do.

"Idiot. You're overthinking things." He murmured softly. Leaning forward, he moved his hand to cup the back of the blonde's head tenderly as their foreheads touched. "You've got the wedding jitters and not enough sleep." Sasuke felt his fiancé press closer to him, nearly squashing their bodies together.

"But-" Naruto started to protest. Tilting his head, the Uchiha pressed his lips to the blonde's. He kissed him slowly, forcing Naruto to focus on the kiss and to slow down his tired mind.

"You're not forcing me into anything. Stop stressing yourself out. It's going to be okay." He whispered soothingly when he pulled away. Naruto's hand settled on his back, holding Sasuke close as he could.

"Maybe we shouldn't get married." Naruto whimpered quietly. Sasuke let out a sigh and reached out, pressing his fingers against the lower half of the blonde's face. He had been aiming for the lips and was satisfied when he got two fingers on Naruto's lips. His other fingers pressed against the scarred cheeks and he could feel the wet streaks of tears.

"You're going to regret saying that in the morning. Shut up and go to sleep." The Uchiha huffed. He did his best to wipe away the wet streaks from his fiancé's face as Naruto took several deep breaths. It took another few moments for him to calm down and Sasuke waited, wanting to make sure Naruto fell asleep.

"I'm sorry." The blonde sighed dejectedly. Snorting, the Uchiha kissed his fiancé's cheek and gave him a light slap on the back of his neck.

"Don't be. I would have been worried if you weren't nervous about today." Sasuke replied in a soft whisper. "Just as long as you don't leave _me_ standing in a room with everyone." Naruto chuckled softly and shook his head, his hair brushing against the Uchiha's forehead.

"Never." The blonde replied. Sasuke didn't think to respond, listening to the blonde's breathing even out before his body posture finally relaxed. He waited a bit longer, making sure his soon-to-be husband had fallen asleep before he closed his eyes and let himself drift off again.

* * *

"You're papa, that's me," Sasuke heard Naruto say softly. It wasn't quite a whisper, as if he had been whispering for some time and had grown braver when the Uchiha hadn't awoken. "Loves your daddy very much. I was so worried earlier that he would be the one to freak out today that I started to panic. Daddy talked some sense into me though." Refusing to have a physical reaction to Naruto's words, Sasuke kept his eyes closed and breathing even. He could see light from behind his eyelids and knew it was actually morning this time as the blonde set a hand down on his hip. The baby started to move, putting pressure on his bladder and he had to force himself to stay still. Naruto's hand moved over the expanse of his stomach, feeling the little being inside of Sasuke move.

"Yeah, you know daddy's awake too but he's pretending to be asleep again." The blonde whispered against his stomach and this time Sasuke opened his eyes in surprise. "You were snoring a little before you woke up." Naruto explained when the pregnant male looked down at him.

"I don't snore." The dark haired male countered. He moved away from his fiancé and slowly got off the bed, walking to the bathroom. Sasuke could hear the blonde shifting on the bed, either flipping over to watch or getting off to follow him.

"How can you be sure? You're asleep when you're snoring." Naruto called out from the bed.

"I don't snore." Sasuke iterated plainly. He did his business and washed his hands in silence, reevaluating how he felt about today. They were getting married that afternoon, in only a few short hours. As final as it was, Sasuke found he wasn't all that concerned. Returning to their bedroom, his gaze landed on his fiancé who had propped himself up on his side with a grin. Their blanket was noticeably covering his lower body, leaving his chest bare for Sasuke to admire.

"Thanks, for reassuring me last night." Naruto stated softly. Sasuke let one of his eyebrows shoot up, his eyes roving over the blonde's chest as he came closer. "I kind of lost it a little bit." Slipping into the still warm bed, the dark haired male pulled the blanket up to his shoulders and got comfortable again.

"I told you were going to regret saying that." The Uchiha responded. He watched his fiancé smile and shift closer to him.

"Mhmm." Naruto agreed. His smile waned as he looked at the Uchiha. "Do you mind me calling you daddy?" He sounded uncertain, probably wondering if the Uchiha really cared about the name.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered and debated for a second for just leaving it at that. "I mind it when other people use it to tease me."

"Not me?" Naruto's smile brightened immediately. Leaning forward, Sasuke closed his eyes and kissed him in response. As he leaned back, the blonde leaned forward and kissed him again. He felt a hand reach over his ear, fingers slipping into his hair to keep him from moving away again. A tongue traced his upper lip and Sasuke let his own tongue flick out at it, playfully teasing the blonde before turning his head.

"When does your shift start?" Sasuke asked. Naruto sighed and pressed his lips to a pale cheek.

"Sooner than I'd like." He responded almost unwillingly. "If I don't get up now I'm going to be late." The Uchiha smirked at Naruto's procrastination and playfully pushed at his chest.

"Go on then." Sasuke told him. Naruto smiled as he quickly kissed the dark haired male one more time before leaving the bed. He'd made it to their closet when they heard the front door to their home opening.

"Anyone home? I brought you guys something!" Sakura's voice exclaimed in excitement. Sasuke's first reaction was to pull the blanket over his head and hope the woman left him alone. It was more likely that she would come in and pull him from his bed like a child, he wondered if a few extra minutes in bed would be worth it. But, saner heads prevailed. The Uchiha slipped out of bed and joined his sooner-rather-than-later-to-be husband in front of the closet. "I know you guys are in there, are you both decent?" Sakura called out again.

"So it begins." The pregnant male sighed as he looked through his clothes, wondering if he should change or not to bother with it. He took a quick glance at Naruto, watching him literally hop into his pants before deciding it would be too much effort.

"Just focus on the end goal, tonight will be our wedding night." The blonde grinned. "And our honeymoon the days after it." He reached for Sasuke's hand, lifted to his lips and brushed them against pale knuckles. It was a simple, innocent gesture but Sasuke felt his face flush as the blonde's lips brushed over his ring. Naruto grinned at him, dropping the Uchiha's hand and turned back to rifle through their closet for a shirt. He debated for quick second if he should respond with his own teasing but decided against it. Naruto had had a rough night and was going to have a long day ahead of him, working at the gate. So he'd let him off for now, maybe. Leaving their room, Sasuke made his way to the living room where their old teammate was waiting for them. She was relaxing on their couch, two clothes bags draped over the back of it.

"Cute, I like the bed head look on you." Sakura teased when she looked up. He raised an eyebrow at her, walking past her and into the kitchen. "Is Naruto here? I have his outfit." The pink haired woman got up and followed him. Determining that the search for something edible was more important than answering, he took his time looking around the kitchen.

"You didn't have to get us clothes for this." He opened the fridge to glance through it before deciding on one of the bananas sitting innocently on the shelf for a not so innocent reason. Sakura made a face at him and pointed back at the couch as he began to take off the yellow peel.

"Don't even start. It's a _wedding_ , if I can't convince you into proper traditional clothing or suits, I can at least get you into those." She explained. "Besides, I think you're going to like them." There was a soft banging noise coming from the bedroom and Sasuke moved back into living room, lifting the banana to his mouth. Sakura watched him in confusion but followed him and watched the scene unfold.

"Hey! Good morning, Sakura." Naruto called out before he made it down the hall. He'd pulled on his flak jacket, had his headband in hand and was rubbing his shoulder with a small wince. Sasuke lifted the banana to his lips and wrapped his lips around the tip as he glanced down. The blonde's socks were uneven, one pulled taut up to his calve and the other just barely pulled over his heel. He had seen this more than once and knew from experience that in his rush, Naruto had fallen over as he tried to pull on his socks.

"The clothes bag on top is yours, bring it with you so you can change when you get done working." Sakura told him. Sasuke lifted his gaze to see Naruto pause in the doorway, his mouth dropping open as he spotted the banana in the Uchiha's mouth. He let his tongue slip out to lick the underside of the fruit, enjoying his revenge. The blonde recovered quickly, walking up to his fiancé and glanced to their old teammate with a smile.

"Can't wait for tonight." He murmured before kissing Sasuke's cheek, picked up the top clothes bag and backed away, heading for the front door as he attempted to tie his headband to his forehead with one hand. "See you later, Sakura!" Biting into the banana, Sasuke turned to Sakura as he heard the front door close and watched her roll her eyes.

"You two are meant for each other, really." She told him sarcastically. The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders as he chewed and motioned to the clothes bag that was left on the back of the couch.

"We are getting married," Sasuke responded before taking another bite of the banana. He watched her roll her eyes but she didn't say anything more as they sat down on the couch. Pulling the clothes bag towards them, Sakura unzipped it and smiled at its contents. Curious, the pregnant male watched her pull out a large dark blue cloth that was apparently, what he was going to wear to his wedding. It looked like a haori and Sasuke found himself looking for the hakama that would inevitably go with it.

"Don't worry, it only looks traditional. I wanted to make sure you had the three kamon." Sakura told him reassuringly. She set the article of clothing on her lap and ran her hand over it, admiring the cloth.

"I don't need the Uchiha crest on it." He murmured. Continuing to eat his breakfast, he sat back and made sure he kept the peel away from the probably expensive clothing.

"It's not just your family's crest." Sakura pointed out. She pointed to one of the sewn in symbols, which was the red and white Uchiha fan, and then to another, which was the traditional Uzumaki black spiral in a red circle. "I thought this was a nice touch too." Sakura lifted the haori like jacket up and turned it over. To his surprise, the back was dominated by a large sewn in crest, a colored replica of the image on his shoulder.

"This is my seal." He murmured in awe. Reaching out with his free hand, the Uchiha traced the black outline, then the spiral to the middle of the kamon. The crest was the Uchiha colors, the top half red and the bottom white. It was perfect. "This is on Naruto's too?" The dark haired male asked.

"Yes it is." Sakura nodded with a smile. She was obviously pleased that Sasuke liked it and set it over his knees so she could pull the rest of the outfit out of the clothes bag. "A nice dress shirt to go underneath it and a formal pair of pants, both black. Is it up to your standards?" There was a sarcastic bite to her question but no real venom and Sasuke started to smile as he looked up from the crest.

"I'll wear it." He finished eating his banana as Sakura took the haori like jacket back, stowing the clothes into the clothes bag and tossed it onto the back of the couch again.

"Okay, now we've got that out of the way." Sakura held her hand out for the Uchiha to take, helping him stand. "Time to set up for the reception, I've already roped Yamato and Apricot to help out. Iruka said he'd be by after classes at the academy get out too." Sasuke's enthusiasm waned as the pink haired woman led him to the front door and then outside to the front porch.

"How long is this going to take?" He asked. It was colder than he thought and he briefly regretted the fact that he didn't put shoes on or throw away the now empty peel in his hand. Yamato and Apricot were carrying fold out tables and setting them against the side of the house, the red headed girl noticeably wearing her shoes.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to make you do anything strenuous. Besides, the more hands we have to help the faster it will get done." Sakura stated. "Ready to start."

"I'm going to go change first." The Uchiha muttered. He turned to go back into the house, running his free hand through his hair. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Sasuke had been put to work almost as soon as he had come back outside, covering fold out tables with cheap plastic tablecloths, curling an endless amount of ribbon for table decorations. They had spent over an hour just watching Apricot jump between two rooftops with several fabric bolts and over a dozen strings of lantern lights. It was almost like a drama, watching Yamato slowly break down into frustrated yelling as Apricot messed up with one thing or another. Finally taking pity on her, Sakura went to the redhead's rescue and took over for her. The younger girl dropped down into the street, careful to avoid landing on a table, and made her way over to sit at the same table as the Uchiha.

"Sasuke? My seal," She trailed off. He glanced to her, taking in her nervous posture as she clenched her hands into fists and then consciously loosened them.

"Let me see it." Sasuke gestured for her to come closer. The redhead obediently lifted her shirt up to show him her stomach, stepping in front of him and knocking her hip against a back of a chair. The edges of the black ink were noticeably cracked now, far more damage than when they had just come back from Suna. Still, it wasn't nearly as bad as when he first saw the seal during the Chuunin exams. "How do you feel in close proximity to Naruto?" Leaning forward, he inspected it closely, taking note which parts were weakening faster compared to other parts.

"Like a, a pressure I guess? I think it might have started yesterday but I definitely felt it this morning." Apricot answered. She dropped her shirt and looked down nervously to the pregnant male. "Do you know if you're going to be able to fix it?" Nodding his head at the table, Sasuke waited for her to sit down before he tilted his gaze above them. He watched Sakura throw a bolt of cloth across the street to the opposite rooftop for Yamato to catch.

"I haven't found anything useful yet, Sakura says the Hokage hasn't heard much from her seal experts either. The best we can do right now is just strengthen your seal when it becomes too weak." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the girl's shoulder drop.

"Oh." Apricot murmured. "Sorry. For bringing it up, I mean, on your big day." She quickly explained.

"It's better you tell me when it happens, keeping track of the physical symptoms will be beneficial in the long run." So they wouldn't be surprised when Kyuubi attempted to kill the girl and escape, again.

"Right." The redheaded girl answered softly. They continued to watch Yamato and Sakura work in a comfortable silence. Slowly but surely, the street's view of the sky was hidden by a number of colored fabrics, red and orange interspersed with an azure blue and white. In all honesty, the combination of his and Naruto's trademark colors looked strange but Sakura had already told him not to worry about it.

"What are you going to be doing while Naruto and I spend," He paused, thinking of another way to describe the seven days he and Naruto would hopefully be spending in bed. "Our time off?"

"I know what people do on a honeymoon, I'm not a kid." She snapped childishly. Raising an eyebrow, the Uchiha stared at her and watched her quickly flounder under his scrutiny. "Um, Umino-sensei said I should learn how to write and read properly and Sakura says I should know more medical ninjutsu." Sasuke turned his attention back to the rooftops, watching through the openings between the fabrics as the pink haired woman jump across with what looked like the end of the line of string lanterns.

"Both will be time consuming." He responded absentmindedly.

"I won't have much to do after your honeymoon is over too." Apricot continued. "It's not like you can take missions to watch me when I do my missions when you're on maternity leave." The Uchiha watched as the lanterns dropped under the stretch of fabrics before jerked violently. They didn't fall and it wasn't long until they stopped moving as if they were being pulled on, a few seconds later, Sakura emerged from the narrow alleyway on the side of the house.

"More time for me to focus on researching your seal." Sasuke answered with a quick glance to her. Sakura was quickly walking towards them and Apricot raised one of her legs to her chest as Sasuke gave the work above their heads one last look.

"I can't believe I almost forgot!" The pink haired woman exclaimed as she sat down at the table. "We need to go over what you want said at the ceremony! I mean, I know Tsunade said you could say your own vows but do you want too?"

"I haven't thought about it and I doubt Naruto has either." He answered. Apricot shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable in her silence.

"So it's okay if Tsunade does it?" She asked. Sasuke nodded quickly and watched as his old teammate leaned in closer over the table. "Do you want her to go all out with the address and vows or do you want it short and sweet?"

"Short, preferably not filled with mushy shit about love." He answered without much thought. After he said it, he wondered if Naruto would have disagreed with him and then hoped they would have enough time to talk it over before the ceremony started.

"No mushiness got it." Sakura leaned back with a nod and a smile. Sasuke watched her gaze drift over to the redheaded girl before she nodded to her. "Is Apricot invited?" The pink haired woman questioned. As Sasuke tried to think of the answer, he realized that he and Naruto had never asked her if she wanted to.

"Do you want to go the wedding?" The Uchiha looked over to the younger girl and watched her freeze as the attention of the conversation turned to her.

"Um, I've never been to one." Kyoko answered softly.

"And you probably have nothing to wear. Alright, you're coming with me when I go talk to the Hokage so we can get you some nice clothes." Sakura decided with a smile. Apricot stiffened even further in her seat, her wide green eyes darting to the Uchiha almost immediately.

"You'll be fine." Sasuke told her. She didn't seem all that convinced but her posture relaxed and the Uchiha felt that it was good enough. Yamato appeared out of the alleyway that Sakura had come from and weaved his way through the tables towards them.

"I finished with the lights, is there anything else we need to do?" The brunette male asked. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and looked to Sakura who had been their taskmaster all morning. She shook her head and stood up, pushing the chair back under the table as she scrutinized the work above their heads.

"Who's up for a quick snack?" The pink haired woman asked with a satisfied smile.

* * *

It had been a _joke_. Sasuke hadn't been serious in questioning his fiancé's resolve this morning. Now though, looking anywhere but at anyone in the Hokage's office, he was regretting not being more serious about the issue. Naruto was twenty minutes late. Tsunade had gotten tired of standing and had taken to leaning against her desk, Shizune next to her shifting her weight from one foot to another. Everyone else was clustered together on one side of the room.

Kiba, Tenten, Neji, and Rock Lee were all in ceremonial clothes but Ino, Sakura, and Hinata had gone all out with their kimonos and hair. Shikamaru, Chouji, Shino, and Yamato had on their uniforms and flak jackets while Kakashi and Iruka had come in dark colored sweaters and black pants. Sakura had probably bullied Apricot into the light green silk shirt and black dress pants that she was wearing and was attempting to hide behind Iruka and Kakashi. She was obviously still afraid of being around larger groups of people and he wondered if the redheaded girl had said she'd come out of politeness. Ayame and Teuchi had promised to be at the reception with freshly cooked ramen and Kurenai and Asuma had politely declined being at the wedding, also promising to be at the reception. Six and a half months pregnant dressed in the clothes that Sakura had given him and he was being stood up on their wedding day in a room filled with all of their friends.

He was going to kill Naruto.

"Find someone to go check the perimeter, something must have happened." Tsunade murmured softly. Sasuke glanced to her, watching her lean away from Shizune who was nodding her head at the order. The Uchiha's stomach started to flip uncomfortably. It was as Shizune stepped past Sasuke towards the doors that they banged open. Everyone turned their heads to see Naruto burst into the room, an orange replica of Sasuke's jacket haphazardly pulled on over his long-sleeved undershirt, his uniform pants and headband all still on. The blonde's cheeks were red and smudged with dirt, chest heaving and eyes darting around almost wildly.

"I'm here! I'm here," Naruto cried out. He stopped just a few feet into the room and bent over, hands on his knees as he gasped for air. Everyone in the room seemed to relax and Sasuke exhaled slowly to keep himself calm.

"It's always better late than never but way to make a grand entrance." Kiba called out with a cheeky grin. The blonde straightened, his eyes going straight to the Uchiha and he smiled brightly.

"Got caught up in a small scuffle at the perimeter." He explained with a quick glance to all of his friends. Sasuke watched Sakura raise her hand up to her face, pretending to wipe at her cheek which the blonde caught and raised his own hand up to mimic her. He wiped at the smudges, brushing away some of the dirt.

"Everything alright?" Tsunade questioned. Naruto nodded as he walked across the room to stand next to Sasuke in front of the blonde haired woman.

"Yeah, no problems." The blonde answered with a grin. He looked to Sasuke and smiled brightly. "Sorry I'm late. Did I worry you?" Naruto whispered.

"Hn." The pregnant male answered without looking his fiancé in the eye.

"Okay, let's get this over with. We're late enough as it is." Tsunade called out. She got up and reached for a scroll sitting on her desk, opening it and jerking her head for Sasuke and Naruto to come closer. "This, is your marriage license and I'm going to need you both to sign, right here. Before you ask, yes it's set up so that you'll both keep your last names." She pointed to two lines at the bottom of the scroll as Shizune held out a pen for one of them to take. Naruto eagerly took the pen and wrote his name down gleefully in his hasty scribbles. When he finished and lifted the pen for Sasuke to take, the dark haired male took it hesitantly. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled as he leaned over and carefully wrote his name on the open bottom line. When he straightened and handed the pen back to Shizune, he was quickly ushered back a step.

"Ready?" The blonde whispered. He was grinning excitedly, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. Tsunade waved at the group behind them, motioning for them to move over to the center of the room, behind Sasuke and Naruto. With some shuffling and a minimal amount of murmuring about stepped on toes, they settled where they stood. Ready to watch their friends tie the knot.

"I was ready twenty minutes ago." Sasuke teased back. The corners of his mouth slowly curved upwards and he gave Naruto a small smile. There was a small commotion at the back of the group and the Uchiha felt the urge to glance over and see what was happening. He didn't want to look away from his idiot, if he did, Sasuke didn't think he'd be able to look at him in the eye for the rest of the night without blushing in embarrassment.

"Cut the crap, Inuzuka. I'm trying to officiate a wedding here." The Hokage growled. "Before we start, does anyone object to these two getting hitched?" Everyone waited in silence for her to continue when it seemed that no one was going to speak up.

"So, we are gathered here today to recognize and witness the union between these two people and their decision to journey forward in their lives as marriage partners." Tsunade looked between Naruto and Sasuke for a long moment, her lips twitched upwards and she seemed to debate what she was going to say next. The Uchiha feared for a moment that she would continue with the address and get to all the stuff about their love being abundant and to let it inspire each other. He inwardly shuddered at the thought.

"Do you, Sasuke take, Naruto to be your partner for life? Do you vow to be his faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow? Do you promise to walk by his side forever, and to love, help, and encourage him in all he does? Do you promise to love him unconditionally, to honor and respect him, and to cherish him as long as you both shall live?" Tsunade spoke the questions confidently as she stared the dark haired man down. He could see the seriousness of her expression out of the corner of his eye as Naruto's dazzling smile softened, waiting for the Uchiha's answer.

"I do." Sasuke responded with conviction. His statement rejuvenated Naruto's smile, he was smiling so much that the pregnant male wondered if his cheeks were getting sore.

"And do you, Naruto take, Sasuke to be your partner for life?" The Hokage turned her head to the blonde, her voice softening just enough to be noticeable. "Do you vow to be his faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as sorrow? Do you promise to walk by his side forever, and to love, help, and encourage him in all he does? Do you promise to love him unconditionally, to honor and respect him, and to cherish him as long as you both shall live?" It was Sasuke's turn to feel nervous, his heart beating loudly in his chest as the baby started to kick.

"I do." The blonde responded almost breathlessly. Sasuke raised his hand to his stomach as relief shocked his system. Naruto tilted his head, glancing down to the Uchiha's stomach

"Alright, show me your hands because you two are already wearing your rings." The blonde woman motioned for them raise their hands. Sasuke glanced to her for the briefest moment, raising his hands halfheartedly as he looked back to Naruto. He grabbed Sasuke's hands excitedly and the Uchiha felt his face heat up, suddenly embarrassed. 'Cute' Naruto mouthed silently and squeezed the pregnant male's hands, making Sasuke's face turn even redder.

"Sasuke, repeat after me: Naruto, this ring is a token and pledge," Tsunade spoke as if she hadn't watched the interaction and Sasuke shifted his gaze to her quickly, hoping his blush would fade. Unfortunately, the woman tilted her head with a raised eyebrow towards the blonde male in front of him and Sasuke reluctantly flicked his eyes back to Naruto.

"Naruto, this ring is a token and pledge," Sasuke focused his gaze on his lover's hands, moving his fingers to toy with the simple band on the tan finger.

"As a sign of my love and devotion. With this ring, I thee wed." Tsunade continued.

"As a sign of my love and devotion. With this ring, I thee wed." Sasuke repeated after her. He swallowed thickly and felt the blonde squeeze his hand in reassurance.

"Naruto, repeat after me: Sasuke this ring is a token and pledge," The Hokage turned her head toward the blonde as she continued on.

"Sasuke this ring is a token and pledge," Naruto's fingers were tugging on his ring as the Uchiha had done moments before.

"As a sign of my love and devotion. With this ring I thee wed." She droned on, already tired of repeating herself.

"As a sign of my love and devotion. With this ring I thee wed." Naruto responded with more emotion than he had before. His bright blue gaze was intense when the dark haired male dared to meet it, filled with emotion. Sasuke's ears felt like they were burning and to his surprise, his blood started to run south, his length twitching. He cursed Naruto for having that effect on him, how could he be aroused and embarrassed at the same time?

"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki, married. You may now kiss your husband." Tsunade exclaimed. The group, which had been quiet for the entirety of the ceremony, had started to make noise, some of the people behind them were clapping and Sasuke could hear Kiba whistle. He blinked in shock when Naruto leaned forward when it occurred to him that they were supposed to kiss. Sasuke tilted his head upwards just enough and let his husband, place a chaste kiss on his lips. His husband, it was official.

"Aw, come on!" Kiba called out when the blonde pulled away. "I wanna see some tongue!" If the Uchiha's blush had dissipated before, it was back full force now.

"Shut up, Kiba." Naruto called out to the dog lover and gripped Sasuke's chin. He planted another kiss, this one harder and with a quick lick of his tongue across the Uchiha's lips. Pushing the blonde away, Sasuke scowled as he turned his head to glare at the Inuzuka. Ino had jerked her elbow into the dog lover's side and Kiba was looking between her and him with a cautious grin, rubbing where she had hit him.

"Right, well let me be the first to say congratulations," Tsunade stepped forward, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder and the other on Sasuke's. "Now let's move this out of my office. Sakura, if you could be so kind and lead the way." She pushed them to face the group, urging them towards the door and jerked her head at Sakura.

"She just wants to start drinking." Naruto whispered under his breath. Sasuke smirked and turned to him, watching as the Hokage reached up and pulled on his ear. The blonde automatically tilted his head, whimpering in pain. Everyone was still watching them as they parted for the newlyweds to lead the way with Sakura and they watched in amusement.

"I can hear you, you know." Tsunade growled. "You're lucky you tied the knot today." She let go of his ear and stepped closer to Iruka and Kakashi, both she and Sasuke watched Apricot freeze up before darting away from the three older adults.

"Come on, husband." Naruto chuckled. He grabbed Sasuke's hand and tugged him into the center of their friends as they moved out of the Hokage's office and out of the building.

* * *

"It looks nice." Sasuke motioned to the fabrics above their heads. The lanterns had been turned on, bathing the street in a warm glow of light. It was early evening and the air was growing cooler as the sun disappeared. The small group had moved immediately from the Hokage's tower to the dressed up street in the compound and had spent the last few hours celebrating. Sasuke had grown tired standing and had pulled away from the conversations to sit down and Sakura had followed him to a nearby table.

"See, I told you not to worry about." Sakura replied before taking a sip of her drink. Naruto, who had been having a vibrant conversation with Rock Lee, slid into the seat next to Sasuke. He leaned in close; his hand draped across the back of the Uchiha's chair and kissed his husband's cheek before whispering in his ear.

"What is Sai doing here?" Naruto asked. That caught both Sasuke and Sakura's attention, their heads turning as they looked for the dark haired male.

"I invited him." Sasuke answered. The blonde frowned and watched the pregnant male search for Sai. He found his look alike talking to Yamato, watching him and Naruto with a blank expression.

"I thought you said you didn't want him here?" Naruto sat back, scrutinizing his husband. Sakura, who knew Sai was always a touchy subject between her two teammates, watched them over the rim of her glass and chose to stay out of it.

"I didn't want him at the wedding. I didn't say anything about the reception." Sasuke explained. He wasn't surprised to see the blonde's frown deepen.

"You did not." It was the pregnant male's turn to frown; he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, daring to be disagreed with.

"Dobe." Sasuke replied. They stared at each other, neither one wanting to concede. The Uchiha raised an eyebrow at Naruto, wanting to win their first 'fight' as a married couple and watched his husband attempt to do the same, both his eyebrows rising instead of just one.

"Boys, no need for a lovers spat!" Iruka called out as he slid into a seat on the opposite side of the table. All three turned their heads in surprise at the teacher's tone but from the seemingly permanent blush on his cheeks and the way Kakashi was hovering over him with two beers in hand, it was easy to figure it out. Iruka was more than a little tipsy, probably closer to being drunk. "Tonight's your wedding night!" Giving Naruto a sidelong glance, they both nodded to the teacher's statement.

"How is it that he's always the first one to get wasted?" The blonde whispered to his pregnant husband. Kakashi, who had been standing behind Iruka, moved, setting the two beer mugs down on the table before pulling out a chair to sit down.

"He can't hold his liquor, one drink is all it takes." Kakashi answered. The teacher's smile fell and he looked around, his smile returning as if he just realized Kakashi was there with him. Sakura raised her hand to hide her smile but she couldn't do much to hide her giggle. Sasuke had to agree, it was adorable how obviously besotted the man was in his tipsy state. Kakashi reached for one of their beers and Iruka's focus shifted to it, his smile widening as the white haired male turned away to pull down his mask and take a drink.

"Come on Naruto, have a drink and relax!" Iruka called out happily. He picked up the other mug and held it up in example. It was the blonde's turn to chuckle and he leaned forward, shaking his head softly.

"Nah, it's okay. Sasuke can't have any so it wouldn't really be fair if I did." Naruto explained. The Uchiha watched their old teacher blink slowly, working through the blonde's reasoning.

"Or fun." Sakura added. She grinned and gave the newlyweds a knowing look and Naruto had the decency to blush with a cheeky smile. Iruka continued to smile, looking between the two of his old students as he brought the beer to his lips, taking a long sip.

"What did I tell you? He's whipped." Sasuke heard Ino tease behind him. He looked behind him and found Ino and Hinata walking towards them.

"Congratulations to the both of you." Hinata spoke up softly. Naruto turned around in his chair, smiling brightly at the dark haired woman.

"Thanks, Hinata." The blonde replied. "You look stunning in your kimono, by the way." Hinata blushed and turned her head with a silent nod of thanks.

"Sakura, come join us." Ino told the pink haired woman cryptically. As all weddings went, there could only be one or two things they still had to do. Sakura's grin changed slightly as she stood up, tucking the seat of her chair under the table and taking the arm that her blonde friend held out for her.

"Boys." The pink haired woman nodded to everyone still sitting at the table and let Ino lead her and Hinata away. Sasuke watched them go, hoping they weren't planning something devious. When he turned back to the table, Iruka was leaning with one elbow on the table, watching Kakashi with an adoring gaze. Kakashi was looking back at his partner with his one visible eye calmly, his hand still on his beer.

"You okay, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto called out. Iruka turned his head to the blonde and shook his head, still smiling.

"Hatake won't take off his mask." The teacher responded. He reached up to his nose and scratched at his scar as he looked back to the white haired male.

"Why do you want Kakashi to take his mask off?" Sasuke questioned. The jonin shifted in his seat, glancing to the Uchiha with his one visible eye as if reprimanding him. He could practically hear Kakashi in his head 'why are you encouraging him?'

"So I can kiss him." Iruka answered without looking away from his lover. Naruto chuckled and sat up in his seat, leaning into his husband and kissing him on the cheek.

"That's pretty sappy stuff, sensei." Naruto teased. The tipsy teacher didn't seem to hear him, still staring doe eyed at the white haired man next to him. "I'm kind of glad Obaa-san didn't do all the lovey dovey stuff that's normally in weddings. It would've been a little embarrassing." Sasuke gave the blonde a sidelong glance, remembering the conversation he had had with Sakura earlier that day.

"Sakura asked me earlier today if we wanted the 'lovey dovey stuff', I told her no." He explained. Sasuke hadn't been too worried about it and any uneasiness he had slipped away when his husband directed another smile at him.

"Good choice." Naruto leaned in and kissed him on the lips this time. As the blonde pulled away, the Uchiha could see both of the men across the table looking curiously at something behind him. Wondering what they were staring at, the pregnant male made the effort to turn around in his seat. It was when he saw Ayame pushing a small cart with a two-tiered white cake on it that he realized it had been missing.

"Okay, time to cut the cake!" Sakura called out. She turned and helped Ayame pick the cake up as Ino and Hinata practically appeared out of nowhere next to the two newlyweds. Ino practically yanked Naruto out of his chair by his arm as Hinata gently gestured for Sasuke to follow her. The Uchiha stood carefully, nodding the Hyuuga who walked beside him. "Where is the lovely couple?" The pink haired woman called out, she and Ayame set the modest cake down on a table that had been cleared of its ramen bowls and chopsticks.

"Ow, Ino! No need to yank me." Naruto cried out as he was hauled forward. Their friends started to move, gathering around them and the table. The blonde male jerked his limb away from Ino, frowning at her as he fixed his clothes and looked to Sasuke. Said male calmly stopped next to him, smirking as Sakura turned and started to fuss over plates that Ayame and Teuchi were setting up.

"Here we go, if you two would do the honors." Sakura turned to hand Naruto a knife before stepping away. Sasuke looked to his husband who was already watching him and rolled his eyes before moving towards the table. They stepped closer together, the blonde wrapping his open hand around his pregnant husband's waist.

"Let's get this over with." The Uchiha murmured. Naruto let out a soft snort and raised his hand with the knife, positioning it over the bottom tier of cake. Without needing any encouragement, Sasuke placed his hand over the blonde's and they easily slid the knife through the spongy cake. Clapping erupted behind them, Sasuke even heard at least two of their friends whistling and he knew at least one of them was Kiba.

"Look at how cute they are." Iruka gushed just loud enough for the Uchiha to hear and he smiled, his shoulders twitched as he tried to stop from laughing. Quietly, they lifted the knife and cut through the cake again, cutting out a piece. Naruto squeezed Sasuke's hip and the Uchiha pulled away, lifting his hand from the knife to let the blonde plate the piece.

"Where do you think you're going? You still have to feed each other the cake." Sakura berated the Uchiha, motioning for him to stay where he was. The Uchiha gave her a deadpanned stare but stopped and turned back to the cake.

"Have a little fun. You did just get married." Neji called out. Turning his head, the pregnant male met the Hyuuga's gaze calmly.

"You just want to see him shove cake in my face." He replied. Almost everyone around them laughed, Shikamaru snorted but the Uchiha could see his grin. Naruto's fingers brushed his arm and the dark haired male turned his attention back to him. The blonde was holding a fork out for him to take. Sasuke took it and shifted so that he was facing his husband and watched him lift up a plate with a single slice of cake on it. With a grin, Naruto grabbed another fork and immediately dug into the yellow cake and white frosting, pulling away a decently sized piece. Sighing, Sasuke dug his fork into it, taking a noticeably smaller bit away and watched the blonde's eyes started to glint with mischievousness.

"Don't you dare." The Uchiha murmured in all seriousness. Immediately, the blonde's eyes widened in mock innocence and he shook his head.

"I'm not, I'm not!" He promised, lifting the fork up to Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke did the same before reluctantly opening his mouth. Naruto's jaw dropped and they both carefully fed each other. The Uchiha continued to eye his playful husband as they chewed, listening to their friends start to clap again. Carefully setting down his fork, Naruto glanced down and Sasuke couldn't help but do the same to find he was looking at the plate of cake in the blonde's hands.

Just as he realized what Naruto was planning to do, before he could even look back up, the cake was shoved into his face. The frosting was cool, the soft cake squishing as the blonde wiped the cake off the plate and onto his husband's face. Sasuke backed away from Naruto, raising his hands to wipe the cake from his eyes as he heard their friends laughing. He flicked the cake off of his hands, carefully opening his eyes to glare at Naruto and jerked his head back when he saw the blonde's hand was reaching up to his face.

"Relax, it's just a napkin. Let me wipe it off." Naruto explained. He looked contrite as he wiped the napkin over the Uchiha's nose and under his eyes. Sasuke let him, his glare turning on everyone he could see that were still smiling. Ayame had replaced them in front of the cake, rapidly cutting out pieces and setting them on plates. "Sorry, I just couldn't help myself." The blonde apologized but the grin told the Uchiha he didn't feel bad about it at all.

"Remember that sex we were planning to have, _ever_ again?" Sasuke tried to sound irritated but his husband only grinned at the threat. He leaned in to lick the cake and frosting off of the Uchiha's cheek and Sasuke let him, returning Kiba's catcall with his middle finger without looking away from his husband's intense gaze.


	33. Honeymoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been waiting to write a scene for over three years and I finally got the chance! Bathtub scene-aka nothing but smut in a bathtub-ahead! Muwahahaha!

**November tenth, the twenty-seventh week,**

"This is nice." Naruto whispered in Sasuke's ear. He didn't know why his husband was whispering as it echoed in their bathroom. It had been just them for the last few days and would stay that way for another two. They were relaxing in the overly large bathtub, which was really a small pool. The hot water was soothing, melting away any soreness or pent up tension that had accumulated over their honeymoon.

"Hn." He hummed in response. The blonde shifted beside him, lifting his hands out of the water and making his favorite sign.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu." Naruto murmured. Clones appeared in two puffs of smoke, standing beside the bathtub, as naked as the original. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in surprise, wondering why his husband had created clones. The blonde turned to the Uchiha as the clones stepped into the warm water, sitting on the other end of the tub. Sasuke was surprised that four people could sit in it and it still felt spacious.

"Want me to rub your feet?" Naruto asked. Giving his husband an incredulous look, Sasuke moved his legs, stretching them out until they hit the clone's legs.

"Shouldn't you have asked me that before you created clones?" He asked. Naruto glanced to his clones before shrugging his shoulders. The clones themselves reached into the water, grabbing the Uchiha's feet and setting them in their laps.

"Well, maybe I was going to have them rub my feet if you didn't want them to." Naruto teased. "I can get your back, if you want." With a sigh, Sasuke leaned forward and let the original blonde rearrange himself behind the Uchiha.

"Hn." He replied again. Naruto's fingers ghosted over his shoulders before gripping them firmly. The clones were already massaging his feet, pressing against the arches and heels enough to make his toes tingle. Wet hands on his back slipped down to his lower back under the still warm water, pressing his thumbs against any tension he found there. It felt like heaven to his sore muscles and he straightened his back with a quiet sigh.

"Feels good?" His husband whispered the question in his ear. The hands worked their way up his spine as the hands on his feet started on his toes, one by one.

"Yes." Sasuke breathed. The clones in front of him both smiled and the dark haired male closed his eyes, refusing to acknowledge that his cheeks were growing heated.

"Here?" Naruto whispered into his ear again. His fingers were digging into his upper shoulders and collarbone now, having skipped his shoulder blades entirely. The hands on his feet were moving to his ankles, manipulating them gently as Sasuke curled his toes in pleasure.

"Lower." Sasuke responded. His husband's hands pressed lower, immediately finding a knot and started to work it out. He hummed appreciatively and felt the clones move their hands farther up his legs, searching for any other sore muscles. When a clone found one, the Uchiha hissed and jerked his leg at the initial flare of pain.

"Right there?" The original blonde asked. Sasuke wasn't sure if he was talking about his back or his leg but the pregnant male opened his eyes again, gaze flicking between the two clones as he nodded.

"Harder." He moaned. Naruto's hands pressed harder into his back and his legs, slipping farther up to just under the back of his knees. Sasuke leaned back, putting his weight into the experienced hands.

"Like this?" The blonde asked. His breath tickled Sasuke's ear and then felt a pair of lips press against his neck. Naruto's fingers ground into a knot roughly, pushing the pregnant male to lean forward.

"Yes." Sasuke groaned. He lifted one of his arms out of the tub, reaching to grip the rim as his husband worked out his kinks. The hands on his legs were pressing into his thighs now, spreading them apart so they would have more room to maneuver.

"Then you're going to love this." Naruto whispered against his neck before biting down softly. Sasuke tilted his head to give the blonde more access and inhaled softly.

"What are you-" The dark haired male started to ask. His focus alternating between the two blondes in front of him as they grinned at each other, their hands lifting off of his thighs to press against his groin. "Oh, ooh!" Sasuke hissed. Hands were bumping against his erection as they fought for who would grab it while another pressed against his entrance. Jerking his hips when a hand gripped him firmly, Sasuke tried to push into the original Naruto behind him. The clones had other plans in mind and two hands gripped his waist. Dragging his lower body closer to them, they pulled the Uchiha's neck away from the original's mouth and he gasped at the feeling of teeth pulling at the sensitive area.

"You've always liked that, huh?" Naruto whispered into the Uchiha's ear. Sasuke shivered as a tongue ran across the shell of his ear and watched as the clone on his right give him a wink. Before he could figure out what the devious clone was up to, he ducked his head under the water and took Sasuke's length into his _mouth_.

"Dobe!" Sasuke screamed and tried to close his legs. The clones refused to let him, the hands on his hips gripping his knees and held them open. Naruto lowered his mouth back to the Uchiha's neck and slipped his hands down Sasuke's back tortuously. His body tensed at the sensations before nearly jackknifing with a cry when the mouth around his cock began sucking on him.

"Relax, relax." He murmured with a kiss just under his husband's ear. The real Naruto's hands worked their way to the dark haired male's chest, pressing them flat against it. "I've got you, come now. Just relax, let me take care of you." Sasuke shook his head in response, forcing himself to pull his hand away from the edge of the tub to reach for the hair sticking out of the water at his groin. The second clone leaned forward, pressing kisses across his collarbone as fingers pinched his nipples.

"Idiot. You've been doing this since we got married!" He growled. The Uchiha tugged roughly on the golden strands that brushed against his distended stomach but the clone only sucked harder. Letting go of his hair, Sasuke slipped his hands under the water to pull the blonde away from him only to have another pair of tan hands dove into the water and gripped his wrists.

"Well, that's because I love you so much." Naruto murmured. Sasuke let out a whine as his hands were dragged back out of the water, his husband's fingers interlacing with his. "I love the feel of your skin against mine, listening to you moan when I find a sweet spot." The clone's mouth slackened on his length before he lifted his head with a gasp for air. Warm water flowed around his groin and the Uchiha nearly climaxed, gasping as he tried to move away from the sensations.

"Stop, nh!" The Uchiha cried out. Someone's hand firmly gripped him at the base of his length and the clone that had been peppering his chest with kisses pressed his lips to the Uchiha's cheek. A tongue swiped at his cheek, working its way to his mouth and kissed him, teasing wet muscle first. He watched as the clone between his legs grinned through taking deep breaths before dipping his head under the water again.

"If anyone should be stopping it should be you, husband." The original blonde murmured. Sasuke gasped into the kiss when the mouth wrapped around him again, thrashing as much as he was allowed. "Stop fighting the pleasure. You've earned this, getting into your third trimester." Sasuke groaned and pressed himself into the real Naruto's chest, breaking away from a relentless tongue with effort.

"Us-Usuratonkachi!" He growled. Naruto's clone recaptured his lips easily; devouring his moans and gasps when the mouth around his erection sucked. When he couldn't hold himself back any longer, the dark haired male squeezed Naruto's hands tightly and jerked his body as much as he could. His thrashing only seemed to make the blonde's clone suck harder, not even pausing when the pregnant male's orgasm shot down his throat. The clone swallowed before he pulled away, lifting his head up to breath again and the clone kissing Sasuke lowered his head, nibbling along his jaw. "Third trimester starts next week." He gasped out. Splaying his legs out even farther, the Uchiha shook off the hands on his knees as he recovered from his orgasm. Silently, he celebrated his small victory in attempting to free himself only to surrender his mouth once again to the clone.

"Yeah, but we're not on our honeymoon next week." Naruto hummed. A hand wrapped around his softening length and squeezed tightly, Sasuke let his body twitch at the nearly painful grip on his sensitive limb. Sasuke sighed and leaned into his husband, making the clone in front of him lean forward for a kiss. When he was close enough, the Uchiha took action and slammed his forehead against the clone's nose. The clone dispelled in a cloud of smoke and the water rushed to fill in the space where it had been, sloshing against the sides of the tub and lapping at Sasuke's stomach. Naruto's second clone was frozen in shock between the Uchiha's legs and gave Sasuke ample time to tuck his leg against his stomach and kick him out of existence. The water splashed at the sudden lack of a body and currents of it rolling in waves against his flaccid member, which twitched in renewed interest.

"Why'd you do that, it was just getting good!" His husband whined. Pulling his hands out of the blonde's grasp, Sasuke moved to stand. He didn't care if he gave Naruto an eyeful of his ass as he maneuvered himself out of the tub. Making sure he stepped onto the bathmat, the pregnant male reached for a towel and began to dry himself.

"It was getting crowded, I want to finish this in the bedroom." Sasuke murmured with a pointed look. Naruto's eyes were on the towel, following it across the Uchiha's skin. Dropping the towel next to the tub, Sasuke stretched his relaxed muscles and stepped into the hallway. He made sure to turn, showing off his protruding abdomen and flaccid length that he felt twitch in interest. "Coming?" He asked huskily.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Naruto grinned. The blonde practically jumped out of the water, rushing to unplug the drain and dry himself off with Sasuke's discarded towel. Sasuke left Naruto in the bathroom, walking to the bedroom, despite what his husband said to tease him, Uchihas did not waddle.

They had stripped the bed of its dirty sheets and Naruto had replaced them sloppily without bothering to do the same for their blanket and pillows. Said dirty sheets were tossed halfway to the bathroom, crumpled and sticky with their bodily fluids and lube. Sasuke briefly debated punishing his husband for such a poor job at making the bed but he dismissed it. The blonde had more important things on his mind on their honeymoon. Deciding that properly making the bed was the least of his worries; the pregnant male went to the nightstand and checked the several bottles of lube. They all had some amount of viscous liquid left and the Uchiha left the one with the least amount left in plain sight. He moved the rest underneath the bed and sat down on the mattress.

His husband finally joined him in their bedroom, his hair tousled in odd directions and completely naked. Sasuke swung his legs onto the bed as he leaned against the backboard, watching Naruto come closer with a quickly growing erection. Naruto sat down next to the Uchiha, giving him a coquettish grin as he let his eyes rove over his husband's body.

"Hey," The blonde's gaze settled on his baby bump and didn't move for a long moment. It was beginning to make the pregnant male uncomfortable, so he placed a hand on it and then watched Naruto's eyes trail upwards to his face. "Fancy meeting you here." He leaned forward, grinning. Sasuke blinked slowly as Naruto kissed him, fingers brushing against his shoulder tenderly. Closing his eyes, the pregnant male raised his own hand to the blonde's face, tracing briefly over the three scars and then gripping his husband's neck.

"Idiot." Sasuke breathed when they broke apart. Naruto pressed their foreheads together as his hand skimmed the length of his arm, interlocking their fingers. His husband pressed their noses together teasingly.

"You knew that when you married me." The blonde responded with a laugh. Sasuke tilted his head and kissed his blonde again, effectively shutting him up. A second hand settled on his chest, fingers rubbing against one of his nipples, rubbing it into hardness. "It's too late to back out now." Naruto murmured when they broke apart again. The fingers travelled down his chest and then started to rub small circles on his stomach, moving lower with each circular pass.

"Who said I wanted to?" Sasuke hummed. He kissed his husband again, pulling his hand out of the blonde's grasp. The Uchiha's hand roamed across Naruto's side before reaching between his thighs and tugging on his erection.

"Mmh! Not me." Naruto shifted with a groan. Liking the reaction, Sasuke continued to fist the blonde's length and closed his eyes when Naruto lowered his head. The bed dipped next to him and his husband readjusted, moving to kneel over Sasuke's legs as he bit down on an already sore patch of skin.

"I think there's a mark already there." He murmured. Naruto didn't verbally respond, pressing his tongue against the spot and then working his way down the Uchiha's chest. Hands moved across his lower body, one of them gripping Sasuke's wrist and pulled his hand away. That had the Uchiha opening his eyes again and he passively allowed his husband to spread his legs so he could settle between them.

"Can you pass me some lube?" His husband questioned. Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes but didn't, giving Naruto a soft glare as he reached for the nightstand. Handing over the bottle, the Uchiha watched as the blonde excitedly popped open the cap and squirted lube onto his fingers.

"No teasing." He ordered. Naruto grinned without looking up, capped the bottle and set it aside. Sasuke watched his husband spread the clear liquid across his fingers and then dropped them down to the Uchiha's entrance. Pressing slick fingers against the muscles of Sasuke's entrance, the dark haired male took a deep breath to relax. Naruto's fingers brushed against his muscles, stroking them without pressing inside. "I said no teasing!" The pregnant male growled unhappily and knocked his knee against his husband's shoulder.

"Relax, you're way too tense." Naruto responded easily. He leaned forward and attached his lips to the Uchiha's already pebbled and perky nipple. Sasuke groaned and shifted, wanting his husband to get on with the foreplay. Naruto bit the nipple in his mouth and the Uchiha jerked, banging the back of his head against the headboard.

"We've been having nonstop sex for days, Dobe! I'm not a bloody virgin." Sasuke hissed. He reached up to pull on the blonde's hair and tensed when a finger pressed against his entrance before penetrating him. Naruto started to suck on the captured nipple, refusing to let go as he pressed his finger in farther, wriggling it to loosen the muscles. Naruto's other hand slid up the back of Sasuke's leg, pressing into the backside of his knee to lift it higher. "I told you to stop!" The Uchiha groaned. Naruto pulled his mouth away and met Sasuke's gaze straight on.

"And I said to relax." His husband immediately latched onto his other nipple, scraping his teeth against the sensitive skin. The finger inside him curled, hitting his pleasure spot without any hesitation and the pregnant male gasped. Sasuke tensed, his erection quickly coming back to life under Naruto's ministrations and then suddenly, a muscle in his leg twinged. Pain erupted in his calf and he let out a cry of pain as he attempted to free himself.

"Ah! Ow, ow!" Sasuke gasped out in pain. His husband pulled his finger out of him immediately and released his nipple before cautiously looking him over. "Gh! Leg cramp, damn!" Naruto immediately sat back, dropping the leg that the dark haired male was reaching for over his stomach.

"Oh, here! Straighten your leg." Naruto pulled away, reaching for the leg that Sasuke was gripping. The Uchiha hissed in pain as he forced his leg to straighten against the bed. "That's it, now flex your toes." The blonde gripped his calf and pressed into the muscles, working against the spasms. Sasuke did as he was told, flexing his toes and grit his teeth through the uncomfortable sensations. "Better?" Naruto asked after a minute of silence.

"Yeah," Sasuke sighed. He flexed his toes again, testing the muscles that had stopped contracting. "A lot better." The blonde let go and waited for the dark haired male to settle down again. Naruto grinned when Sasuke finally looked up to him.

"What do you think, didn't stretch enough or overexertion?" He teased. Sasuke snorted and leaned forward, grabbing the blonde's arm to pull him close.

"Probably a little of both." The Uchiha muttered. He glanced down to his husband's lips and licked his own in anticipation. "I'm sure you'll be more than willing to help me relax and stretch them." Naruto grinned lecherously at the statement and kissed the dark haired male.

"Of course, anything for my husband." The blonde answered happily. Sasuke tilted his head, pressing their mouths together again and set his hands on tan shoulders. Naruto let the Uchiha lead the kiss, his focus on where his hands were wandering. He could feel palms brushing his chest in their hasty movements south, a hand wrapping around his half hard erection. The other hand moved away and Sasuke groaned into the kiss, he wanted more. Pulling away, Naruto turned his head to look down and Sasuke did the same, watching him attempt to open the bottle with one hand. Slightly annoyed at the lack of attention, the Uchiha lowered his head to bite down on the blonde's shoulder. Naruto inhaled sharply and purposely tightened his grip on the member in his hand. Sasuke licked at the bite marks in apology and reached for the blonde's hair tugging on it softly.

"Come on." The Uchiha urged. Naruto made a humming sound but he didn't seem to move any quicker and Sasuke groaned when the hand around his sensitive flesh began to stroke him.

"Hush, you'll need proper lubrication before I can stretch you." The blonde murmured. Sasuke bit back a whine as the cool touch of a lube covered finger brushed at his entrance. Opening his mouth, he pressed his lips to tan flesh and began to suck, intent on leaving a mark. A finger gently pressed into him, moving in a circular motion to loosen his muscles before wriggling deeper. The finger immediately found his prostate and the Uchiha moaned, closed his eyes and saw stars.

His moan seemed to spur Naruto on, a second finger joining the first in rubbing against that bundle of nerves. He tugged on blonde hair again, unable to articulate what he was feeling and pressed his nose into his husband's neck. The blonde seemed to understand what the Uchiha wanted; he moved his fingers away from the sweet spot and started to make scissor motions with them. After that, Naruto wasted no time in stretching him, his other hand continuing to stroke him and fondling his genitals. It felt as if the blonde was reluctant to pull his fingers away but he finally did and leaned back. Sasuke lifted his head, eyeing the hickey he had left on Naruto's naturally tan skin. He lowered his gaze to his husband's hands as they gripped his knees, pulling them apart and settling between them with his erection standing proudly but partially blocked from view by Sasuke's stomach.

"This isn't going to work." Sasuke blurted out. He flicked his gaze upwards and watched the blonde blink in confusion. "It won't be comfortable in this position." Swallowing thickly, the pregnant male moved to sit up, a hand coming to his stomach as he felt the uncomfortable press against his organs.

"Okay," Naruto furrowed his brow as he thought of a solution. "Lay down on your side." The Uchiha nodded and started to maneuver himself onto his side while keeping his weight off of his stomach. When he felt settled with his head on the pillow, he looked back up to his husband and nodded. Naruto smiled and moved to lay down behind him, he nudged Sasuke's top leg with his knee and the Uchiha bent his knee and pressed it into the bed, giving the blonde access to his backside.

Slick fingers pressed between his cheeks as Naruto placed kisses across his neck. Sasuke patiently allowed the blonde to make sure he was ready, ignoring the feeling that this position was an attempt to hide his stomach. He knew Naruto wouldn't do that to him, especially in light of the last few days but the thought had snaked its way into his mind. "Alright?" His husband asked quietly. The dark haired male dipped his head in a nod, glancing to his stomach simultaneously. He was huge, he couldn't even see over his stomach to see his groin, or his feet when he was standing up.

"Keep going." Sasuke murmured. Closing his eyes, the pregnant male felt his husband press his body closer, the slick fingers pulling his ass cheek away. Naruto's hips bumped against his and the tip of his erection brushed the Uchiha's entrance.

"You're quiet." The blonde whispered against his neck. Sasuke opened his eyes and waited for his husband to enter him. There was no movement behind him for several seconds and it took the Uchiha those seconds to realize that Naruto wanted an answer.

"Hn." He hummed. With a hand on his stomach, the dark haired male moved his hips, pushing against the groin of the man behind him. The blonde didn't fall for the tactic and placed a kiss at the base of Sasuke's neck instead.

"Hey, just cause you married me doesn't mean you can stop talking to me." Naruto stated calmly. Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek and looked down as much as he could without actually lowering his head. The blonde moved his hand over the Uchiha's hip and cupped his swollen middle, brushing his fingers against the taught skin. "I want to know if I'm doing something that's bothering you." Warmth spread across his stomach where his husband's fingers were and all the irritation and negative emotions fled from his mind. It was hard to stay mad at Naruto; the man loved him and loved their child.

"It's fine." Sasuke nearly frowned at the relief in his voice as he covered the blonde's hand with his own, holding it in one place. He craned his neck to look behind him and felt his husband shift, lifting his head so they could see each other's gaze. The Uchiha gave him a small smile. "This just isn't my favorite position." Naruto searched his expression for a moment before nodding and lowered his gaze to Sasuke's stomach.

"I feel the same way." His husband replied in a husky voice. Well if that didn't send shivers down his spine. Sasuke lifted his head, catching the corner of Naruto's mouth in a kiss and happily accepted it when the blonde kissed him back wholeheartedly. "Okay, here we go." Naruto murmured with a quick peck of a kiss. He settled behind the Uchiha again and an erection pressed into the cleft of his ass. The Uchiha arched his back and tightened his grip on the blonde's hand in response.

A pair of lips brushed against the back of Sasuke's neck again and he let out a breathy moan, his arousal spiking again as they rocked their bodies together. Naruto shifted behind him and the Uchiha could feel the tip of his husband's erection press against his stretched entrance. Taking a breath, Sasuke relaxed and lifted his leg so that his thigh was pressed against his erection and his knee was brushing his stomach. His husband's cock eased into him, grazing his prostate in the process.

"Ngh!" Sasuke grunted. He pressed his face into the pillow, tightening his grip on the blonde's hand and clutched the loose sheet on the bed with the other to keep control. After a few silent seconds, Naruto rocked his hips gently only to move with more force when the Uchiha's breathing became heavy. The hand Sasuke held in his grasp started to move in circular motions across his stomach and felt teeth scrape the skin of his shoulder.

"I want you to touch yourself." His husband ordered in a voice just above a whisper. Sasuke's toes curled at his tone and the dark haired male felt his erection twitch in agreement with Naruto. The blonde's hand trailed down his stomach as if he was going to stroke the erection himself and the pregnant male gasped in anticipation. Their hands stopped just short and Sasuke let go of his husband's for a brief moment, stopping only because he realized the Naruto was leading him. "Go on, do it for me."

His command was punctuated with angled thrusts and hips smacking into Sasuke's backside that made the dark haired male bite back pleasured moans. Before he could think about refuting the order, the pregnant male gripped himself and groaned. Naruto's hand moved across his stomach again as he fisted himself, feeling the precum at the tip of his erection. The blonde was breathing heavily into Sasuke's ear, which in any other situation would have bothered him, but at this moment he found it quite erotic.

"Naruto," Sasuke moaned. He pushed back against the blonde and listened to the man behind him grunt softly. The blonde spread his hand and moved it in wide circles across the Uchiha's stomach, the taut skin seemed to be overly sensitive. Shivers raced from his stomach to his spine before spreading across his body and Sasuke closed his eyes in pleasure. Naruto shifted behind him, changing his angle again to hit his prostate with each, slow, tortuous, thrust. "Ah, hah, ngh!" He couldn't stop from gasping and tightened his grip around the base of his erection to stave off his orgasm.

"I need you to hold your leg up." The blonde murmured. Sasuke groaned and attempted to lift his leg but he ended up rocking his body with the thrusts. Reluctantly, the dark haired male let go of his length to hook his fingers under the back of his knee and felt his husband shift behind him. The next thrust had Sasuke seeing stars and he choked on his own cry. "Are you close?" Naruto asked in his husband's ear.

"Yes, yes!" He responded hastily. Each of the blonde's thrusts brushed against his prostate and the hand on his stomach moved to grip his erection. "No, don't!" The Uchiha gasped. His pleading did nothing to stop Naruto, his husband's fingers trailed along the underside of his length and sending Sasuke over the edge. His whole body started to spasm, his nail digging into the underside of his knee almost painfully. Naruto's pace of thrusting grew erratic but the tan hand continued to stroke him as he writhed, his ejaculate splattering across his lower stomach.

Sasuke groaned, feeling his muscles clamp down on his husband's cock and heard the blonde behind him gasp. The blonde's thrusts became erratic and a few seconds later, he shuddered and stilled, his length still inside the dark haired male. He could feel something warm pooling inside of himself and Sasuke sighed at the feeling. Sasuke stretched his sweaty limbs and sore muscles as Naruto eased his softening length out of the pregnant male. Exhausted, the Uchiha let himself go limp, feeling his body beginning to melt into the mattress.

"So, do you feel relaxed?" Naruto breathed. A hot, sweaty body settled behind him and an arm was flung over his waist. The blonde's hand started to caress his stomach again, fingers searching for any kind of movement from the baby and Sasuke let his mind drift. He felt the graze of lips against the skin of his shoulder and roused himself again.

"Hn." Sasuke answered noncommittally. All he wanted to do was go to sleep, or maybe get back into the bathtub, have Naruto fill it with hot, relaxing water. Naruto's fingers continued to dance across his skin, keeping the Uchiha awake. "If I had known how big I was going to get, I would have let you carry the baby." Sasuke found himself muttering. He didn't mean it and knew Naruto knew he didn't mean it, saying it just made him feel better.

"I think it's a perfect baby bump." The blonde responded softly. The Uchiha snorted and raised his own hand to his stomach, tracing the expanse of the curvature.

"Mountain, it's too big to be a bump." Sasuke grumbled.

"You're not that big." Naruto chuckled. "At least, not yet." The hand didn't stop its movement even when the pregnant male dropped his own hand. Sasuke craned his neck trying to look back at his husband, giving him an exasperated stare.

"Have you even looked at me? It's like someone shoved a balled up pillow under my skin." The dark haired male jerked his chin downwards while attempting to hold Naruto's gaze. Naruto's lips twitched twice before he made a straight face and the ensuing silence that followed made the dark haired male slowly harden his stare and the hand on his skin came to a slow stop. Realizing his mistake, the blonde blinked and shook his head before attempting to give Sasuke something that looked like reassurance.

"It's not that bad." Naruto stated.

"You hesitated." The pregnant male immediately responded. Sasuke flipped his head away from the blonde and curled his hand around his stomach protectively. He felt his husband move behind him, probably sitting up with his mouth hanging open indignantly. The dark haired male didn't bother looking up, he was mad at Naruto for being unable to efficiently lie.

"I didn't hesitate! I was trying not to laugh. It was funny!" That had Sasuke shooting the blonde a dark look and the blonde tried again to recover. "I mean, saying you look like a pillow was shoved under your skin was funny. You know I love your baby bump, Teme." The Uchiha's resolve wavered at the mention of loving his bump but he stubbornly refused to look up.

"Mountain." He muttered. Naruto snorted again and his hand settled on the dark haired male's side. Another hand brushed against his cheek, pushing his bangs behind his ear lovingly. The hand dropped away and Sasuke flicked his eyes upwards to watch his husband lean down, Naruto pressed his lips to the Uchiha's sweaty forehead.

"It's not a mountain but I'll love it if it gets as big as one, as much as I love you." He said softly. Naruto leaned back up with an adoring smile and any resistance Sasuke fled him. How could he stay mad at his husband when the blonde was so sincere?

"Love you too." Sasuke murmured. He smiled up at Naruto, knowing it would get him another kiss and was happily rewarded when the blonde leaned down again for a nice long and slow one.

* * *

**November twelfth, still the twenty-seventh week,**

"You're really starting to piss me off." Sasuke found himself half-asleep grumbling. Warm, talented hands were rubbing his stomach, slowly working their way down to his very naked lower regions. The hands paused in their movement and the dark haired male took the time to stretch in his husband's arms. "I'm too sore for this right now."

"You're not even fully awake yet." Naruto whined in a husky murmur. His breath brushed against the Uchiha's ear and the pregnant male shivered, goosebumps spreading across his arms. The hands began to move again and Sasuke opened his eyes, blinking at the bright rays of sun that were peeking through the curtained windows.

"I'm awake enough. Hands off." The Uchiha commanded. He raised his hand to his eyes, rubbing at the sleep he could feel there. Naruto pulled his hands away and shifted, the bed dipping with his movements. Sasuke closed his eyes again, stretching his legs out and relishing the soreness. A hand was placed on his stomach again, fingers just barely grazing his skin and the Uchiha opened his eyes again. In one swift movement he reached for that hand, gripping the wrist and twisted it in a way he knew was painful.

"Okay, okay! I get it!" The blonde cried out. Sasuke held his grip for a few more seconds before letting go. Naruto pulled away and the dark haired male moved to sit up, a hand on his stomach as he watched the blonde cradle his wrist. "Geez, I've made love to you, worshipped you even, for seven whole days and this is how you repay me?" The blonde complained with a wry smile.

"Worshipped me? I don't recall asking for that, husband." Sasuke forced a sigh, holding back a grin as he ran his fingers through his hair. The blonde tried to contain his laughter with a snort; he dropped his hands to the bed and leaned forward, kissing the pregnant male on his cheek.

"Mmh, I do believe it is my duty, husband." Naruto teased with a smile. They'd fallen into the joke with ease over the last few days even as the dark haired male rolled his eyes. Sasuke swung his legs over the edge of the bed and moved to stand, his muscles aching, back and hips sore. He paused to yawn before continuing to the bathroom, listening to Naruto crack his back before getting off the bed. Sasuke stepped into the bathroom, glancing at the pile of clothes that had been pushed into the corner as he started to go about his business.

"We need to end the honeymoon." The Uchiha muttered when Naruto finally followed him into the bathroom. Naruto blinked at him, hand behind his head and one on his chest, scratching absentmindedly.

"Why, have I become too much for you to handle?" He grinned before yawning. Sasuke finished his business with a flush of the toilet and hit the blonde in the side with his elbow as he turned on the faucet to wash his hands. Sasuke shook his head, his eyes wandering in the mirror to his husband's form. He stole a glance at the blonde's defined muscles, accepting the fact that he didn't have them now but he would have them again.

"The laundry is piling up, there's hardly any food in the kitchen, we have to prepare for people to move into houses and apartments, and I have to figure out who to do about Kyoko." The Uchiha listed off. Naruto paused, thinking about his response. He turned off the water and dried his hands, his gaze drifting to other parts of his husband's physique.

"The people moving into the compound can wait." The blonde finally answered. That caught Sasuke's attention and he looked up in the mirror, seeing Naruto's grin as he stepped up behind him. "And I'm sure the other things can wait another day at least. You wouldn't have any more fun if you locked yourself up in some dusty old scroll room." Naruto sighed. His hands settled on the Uchiha's shoulders but what he said struck something inside the pregnant male.

"Actually, that is a good idea." Sasuke shrugged his husband's hands off and sidestepped him, feeling very satisfied with the look of surprise on Naruto's face. "I think I've had enough 'fun' to last me the rest of my pregnancy." He walked towards the closet and sighed, most of the clothes were too small for him.

"You can't mean that, Sasuke." Naruto called out after him. It only steeled the Uchiha's resolve and he grabbed what he knew would still fit. "I wasn't serious!" The blonde stomped into their bedroom, still naked and huffed. Sasuke knew he was smirking as he pulled on underwear and pants and then let the blonde see his smirk as he sat down to pull on his shirt. Naruto rolled his eyes but sat down next to the Uchiha, waiting until he had pulled on his shirt before grabbing his chin and kissing him soundly.

"I'm still going." Sasuke pointed out as soon as the blonde pulled back. Naruto groaned loudly, falling back onto the bed as the Uchiha maneuvered to stand up and leave.

* * *

Sasuke was lounging in his chair, because Uchiha's do not slouch, with a hand on his stomach when the door to the scroll room opened. He lifted his head, wondering what the clerk wanted this time only to find Sakura shutting the door behind her. "You're supposed to still be on your honeymoon." She told him. After shutting the door, she turned to face him with a disappointed look and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I got tired of it." Sasuke answered with a roll of his eyes.

"How in the world did you get tired of it?" His old teammate asked in disbelief. She raised an eyebrow at him but he shrugged his shoulders.

"Believe it or not, a marathon of sex is tiring, let alone one with Naruto." The Uchiha sighed as he straightened in his seat, trying to work around his plump middle. Sakura made a face at him but he ignored her, she could handle far more indecency than that and knew from listening to her experiences of barging into Kakashi's apartment. "Besides, my husband was the one to suggest coming here." Sakura nodded in understanding and leaned against the door.

"I doubt he suggested it seriously." Sakura grinned when Sasuke sent her a glare. The dark haired male turned back to the scroll in front of him and tried his best to ignore his old teammate.

"Hn." He responded.

"Well, what have you found?" The pink haired woman asked to break the silence. She sounded curious but the pink haired woman didn't move from her spot with her back to the door.

"Nothing. I was right with my initial assessment, there is no way to fix Apricot's seal." The Uchiha sighed. He reached for the back of his neck and rubbed it tiredly. Sakura watched him with a puzzled expression, her eyebrows scrunched up attractively.

"So what can we do for her? There has to be something more than just sending her back to the toads in the mountain." Sasuke tapped his fingers against the narrow countertop of the shelves, debating about telling her what he thought.

"What if we can strengthen Naruto's seal?" The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders and watched the pink haired woman for her reaction. Sakura uncrossed her arms, her bright green eyes glancing around the scroll room as her mind worked.

"So he can hold all of Kyuubi's chakra? Would that work?" She questioned. The pregnant male tapped his fingers on the desk, debating on sharing what little he'd found.

"It's a possibility." Sasuke answered cryptically. He was still working on several possible theories but they were barely formed and there would be no point in telling his friend if none of them panned out.

"But wouldn't that put Apricot in danger? Wouldn't that be releasing Kyuubi's chakra and killing her?" She sounded concerned and Sasuke looked back up, ignoring the movements in his stomach that pressed against his bladder.

"It's still a better chance than trying to fix an uncompleted seal." Sasuke was about to go on in explaining what was possible when the handle of the door started to jiggle. Someone was on the other side and they both looked to the moving handle in surprise. The jiggling grew more intense and the pink haired ninja stepped away from the door, backing up quickly when the wooden door burst open. The clerk burst into the room, looking wildly around at the entire room, his gaze landing on Sasuke before continuing around the room. His gaze landed on Sakura and his demeanor changed drastically.

"You're not allowed in _here_!" The elder man screamed. His face was turning red, angry wrinkles creased drastically. Sakura held up her hands in attempt to appease the clerk but Sasuke knew he would have none of it. "The Hokage _will_ hear about this! Out! Both of you out!" He moved into the room, coming at the Uchiha in a rage and motioning with his hands wildly.

"Fine then." Sasuke looked to him with his deadliest glare, stopping him in his tracks as the dark haired male moved to stand. He knew the image was ruined by his large, round middle as he struggled to straighten. When he did, his cold stare made the clerk take a step back and the Uchiha brushed past him. Holding his arm out, he waited for Sakura to take it; the pink haired woman smirked past him before taking it. They stepped out of the room together, Sasuke shutting the door behind them with a quiet slam.

"Thank you for that, now what will I do with all of my free time?" The dark haired male immediately snapped half-heartedly. Sakura whipped her head towards him, green eyes wide as they walked down the hall, headed for the nearest exit.

"Oh, come on! That wasn't my fault." The woman cried out indignantly. Sasuke snorted softly and dropped his arm, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"The Hokage told you, I told you, even the clerk told you several times you weren't allowed into the scroll rooms." Sasuke sighed. "You knew that you were supposed to get the clerk when you wanted me." He glanced to his friend and watched her set her hands on her hips, huffing at his accusations. "Now I can't get back in there until the Hokage can convince him otherwise."

"It won't be long." Sakura answered after a few seconds. "Your husband is her favorite and with Shizune keeping her sober, that clerk doesn't stand a chance." They left the building, Sasuke squinting in the bright sunlight that wasn't afforded to him in the dusty scroll room. Sakura took the lead, immediately stepping into the bustling street.

"You really don't like that clerk." The Uchiha murmured as he followed her. Sakura grinned at him and forcefully took his arm, leading him down the street. Sasuke made a disgruntled noise but the pink haired woman merely tightened her grip and began to practically drag him.

"Yes well, I don't know about you but I've worked up an appetite." Sakura ignored his statement with a smile and Sasuke had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at her. "Lunch?" She asked.

"I can't tell if you're trying to mother hen me or if you just don't want to eat alone when you don't have to." Sasuke spoke softly. He ignored the looks he got from strangers on the street, more than a few who looked familiar, as having been in the compound recently.

"A little of both, Naruto said he thought ramen _was_ a proper meal when I told him you needed to eat properly every day. Why do you think we have those group dinners?" The pink haired woman laughed. Sasuke tilted his head and gave her a small smile.

"Naruto still thinks it's only because it's cheaper." The Uchiha answered calmly. Sakura tugged him around a corner and down a different street; one where it was less crowded and in the direction of the hospital.

"Well, it is. Added bonus." Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "Come on, I'm starving." She tugged on his arm again, swerving from the middle of the street to an entrance of a restaurant.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And...I am officially on hiatus! This chapter was really rough for me to write and obviously, there really wasn't anything difficult about it. So I'm taking a 3-5 month break so I can get back on the pumping-out-chapters wagon and figure out the plot line of the third trimester and birth. Yes, yes, I've been writing this story for three years and I still don't have the end figured out? I didn't want to get ahead of myself and then lose interest (because that's happened before). Silver lining- There is one scene that I want to share with all of you wonderful readers and I'm not gonna stop until I've written it because this particular scene is after the baby is born. ;) Ta-ta for now!


	34. Making Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had problems writing, I'm not going to deny it. But it's been way longer than I anticipated getting chapter drafts written. I can't promise I'll be updating in a timely manner but I just wanted to let everyone know that I have not dropped this story. Writing it is just taking way longer than I expected. So I'm posting this to show that I am still working on it.

**November nineteenth, the twentieth-eighth week**

Sasuke was sitting in Taji’s office as he found himself here, shirtless, more often than not these days. He patiently sat in his chair, let Taji and Kusushi do what they wanted until they were satisfied and let Sakura drag him off to lunch or home to prepare it.  This time, the pregnant male found his thoughts interrupted by Sakura who was holding out a cup of familiar liquid.

“I already did this test.” He told her.  She ignored his reluctance to take the drink and moved it closer. Sakura held it in front of the Uchiha’s chest, her stern gaze telling him if he didn’t take the cup, she would force it down his throat.  Her forcefulness made Sasuke want to roll his eyes; his mood swings had become more prominent the last few days.

“It’s a follow up, just drink it.” Sakura sighed. She raised the cup to his face, inches from his lips and Sasuke turned his head, reaching for the cup. He took it from her and lowered it so he could peer at its contents.

“She’s right, we need a follow up result of the GCT test.”  Kusushi spoke up.  Sasuke didn’t take his eyes off the liquid he knew was going to be ridiculously sweet for a second then glanced to Taji, who nodded to him.  At that, the pregnant male returned his attention to the disgusting liquid and lifted it to his lips to drink it.

“Thank you, now was that so hard?”  Sakura berated him with her arms crossed over her chest.  The Uchiha scrunched his face at her as he swallowed the liquid quickly, attempting not to taste it.  Once it was gone, he held the cup out for someone to take as he made a face of disgust.

“Yes.” He answered her. Sakura exhaled loudly through her nose and Sasuke could see Taji smiling out of the corner of his eyes. “What’s next?” The Uchiha asked. Kusushi shifted in his seat, turning to face Sasuke with a clipboard in hand.

“We’re going to bump up your visits to every two weeks, and then every week when you’re thirty-five weeks along, around January seventh.”  The brunet male looked up from his clipboard, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose as he assessed Sasuke for an answer.  Sasuke glanced to him, his mood darkening even further at the thought of even more of these boring checkups.

“Wonderful.” He said sarcastically. Kusushi nodded solemnly and turned away again.  He looked up to find Sakura staring at him reproachfully.  Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her and set his hand on his abdomen, feeling the baby shift.

“Why are you so testy today?” Sakura asked him. The baby, his little passenger as he had recently named him or her, kicked and he shifted in the seat, his organs taking the brunt of the innocent’s attempt to get comfortable. It only seemed to worsen his mood.

“I’m pregnant.” The Uchiha answered. His pink haired friend opened her mouth to retort but his appointed obstetrician interrupted them before it became a spat.

“Is the baby kicking?” Taji questioned. Sasuke looked to her and watched her make a gesture to his where he had placed his hand.  Sakura deflated as well, stepping back demurely so she was no longer hovering over the pregnant male.

“Yes.” The Uchiha answered in a much softer tone than he had used before.  Taji nodded with a gentle smile, the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes creasing with it, and rolled her chair so that she was sitting at his side. She splayed her hand out, waiting for permission to touch him.  This happened every time and Sasuke nodded his assent to her so she could settle her hand on his mountain-sized stomach.  She felt around for any of the baby’s movement and blinked in surprise when the baby shifted against her hand.

“You’ll need to start counting the kicks, what time of the day, or night, he or she is most active. You can either lie down on your side or sit with your feet up to count ten of they baby’s kicks. It shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes but if you don’t feel ten kicks in two hours, get Sakura immediately.” Taji’s hand began to glow in the healing green of her chakra and she ran her hand across Sasuke’s stomach. “Also, don’t feel shy about talking out loud when you’re by yourself, it will help the baby.” With a nod of her head, the obstetrician let the glow fade and pulled her hand away, obviously satisfied that he or she was still healthy.

“How?” Sasuke asked.  She turned away from the dark haired male, writing her findings down on a sheet next to Kusushi’s clipboard.

“Babies can recognize voices in the womb, it will also help with future language development.” The elder woman responded, her tone mostly clinical.

“So my husband isn’t crazy?” Sasuke snorted. He had known that his little passenger could recognize voices before they were born but the helping with their language development was news to him.

“No more so than he was before you were pregnant.”  Taji answered warmly. The pregnant male chuckled under his breath, the edges of his lips twitching as he attempted not to smile.

“Is there anything else we need to discuss while we wait?”  Sakura asked. She looked to Taji and Kusushi and Sasuke was reminded that he had a little less than three hours to just sit in this room.  All that time to make small talk with his old teammate that had the tendency to piss him off, his obstetrician he sort of enjoyed talking to, and Kusushi, who half the time was so caught up in his work he forgot the Uchiha was there and the other half was scared of him.

“Well, what’s interesting is that this week, your baby’s eyesight is developing,” Kusushi spoke up suddenly. “He or she can blink their eyes and probably has eyelashes to go with them.”  The brown haired man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he looked up from his clipboard.

“Fascinating.” Sasuke drawled in a bored tone. He watched Kusushi blink rapidly before turning his head back to the table, unwilling to meet the Uchiha’s gaze. The sonographer was still afraid of him, even though he knew Sasuke was harmless, essentially.

“Back to being overly moody, I see.”  Sakura sighed. Holding back the urge to stick his tongue out at her, the Uchiha huffed and rolled his eyes at her. Taji was quietly chuckling in her seat but Kusushi was gathering his materials and moving to stand up.

“I think that’s my cue to leave.  I’ll be back in time to check your test results.”  The man with glasses murmured.  The man nodded to Taji before he turned and all but fled the small room, the other three people in the room watching him.

“Sakura, make sure that door is locked.”  Taji ordered the pink haired woman.  Sakura dutifully moved to the door, flipping the lock and then checked the knob. Sasuke frowned and shifted in his seat, his eyes stuck on the door as his friend took Kusushi’s chair.

“Naruto said he’d stop by after he got off perimeter duty.”  The Uchiha glanced to Taji who didn’t seem surprised at his statement and watched her smile kindly.

“He can knock when he gets here, unless you want someone to walk in here like last time.” Sakura answered. That brought the memory of when someone had walked into the room, a nurse whose eyes had immediately gone to Sasuke’s stomach.  Sakura had immediately moved to shoo her out but the woman had started asking questions so the pink haired woman had to push her out while Taji had grabbed his shirt to cover the Uchiha’s form.  That had been embarrassing.

* * *

  **Three hours later...**

“You’ll start to gain a pound each week.”  Taji answered conversationally. Kusushi had come back after three hours and completed the test and left again, Taji and Sasuke had been talking while they waited for Naruto since Sakura had nodded off.  A knock on the door woke the pink haired woman with a start, her chin jerking up off her chest and bright green eyes opening in a startled fashion.

“Exciting.” Sasuke responded sarcastically. He watched his old teammate rub at the sleep in her eyes as someone knocked on the door again. Still half-awake, Sakura stood up and went to unlock the door, peering out into the hallway from the cracked doorway.

“Hey, Sakura, were you asleep?” Naruto’s voice questioned. The Uchiha knew Taji was smiling again; she had taken an immediate liking to Naruto when she first met him and it only seemed to grow every time they met.  Sasuke blamed it on the annoyingly high level of seriousness Naruto took on his impending fatherhood, Taji seemed to find it endearing.

“Yes, what do you want?” Sakura huffed indignantly.

“To see my husband? He is still in here, right?” The blonde’s voice practically bounced as he tried to see over Sakura’s head.

“Let the idiot in.” Sasuke sighed with a smile. Sakura opened the door wider, stepping aside to let the blonde in.  Naruto was standing in the doorway, trying his hardest not to smile at the bleary eyed Sakura.  His eyes landed Sasuke when he stepped into the room and let their friend close the door and lean against it.  After Naruto was caught up to speed on how his husband was doing, they’d be free to leave. “How was work?”

“You know, same old same old.” Naruto glanced to Sakura as he stole the seat she’d been sleeping in and leaned forward on his knees. “Sat around at the gate and stared at falling leaves for the last five hours.”  He glanced to Taji and nodded in greeting with his bright smile that further ensnared the obstetrician.

“You lost janken pon again?” Sakura called out in disbelief. “That’s the fourth time this week, you really do suck at hand games.”  She smiled at the blonde in a pitying kind of way.

“They’re cheating, I’m sure of it.” Naruto responded brightly. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the blonde’s positive enthusiasm but his husband ignored the look and turned to Taji. “So how were the tests, did everything go well?”  He asked. His tone was hopeful but as always, there was a hint of caution underlying it and Taji’s expression softened further.

“He passed, with flying colors I might add.”  She motioned to her file on the desk.

“That’s great!” Naruto sighed in relief. He beamed at Sasuke and the dark haired male rolled his eyes, his husband was far too chipper for the pregnant man. The blonde’s smiled waned slightly and he looked to Sakura with slightly wide eyes.

“He’s just being moody, you’re fine.”  Sakura told him. That seemed to ease Naruto’s fears and his smile returned full force, regardless of the Uchiha’s scoff.

“We’re bumping up his check ups to every two weeks.”  Taji told the blonde conversationally.  That caught Naruto’s attention and he looked to Taji as he nodded in understanding.

“Okay. That shouldn’t be a problem for me once I’m on maternity leave.”  Naruto sat back and shrugged his shoulders to the older woman.

“He’ll also have to start counting the baby’s kicks which, you can help out with if Sasuke wants you to.” Taji gave Sasuke a knowing look. It wasn’t until the dark haired male heard his husband splutter that he looked over and saw him reaching for the Uchiha’s stomach.

“Why? Is something wrong with the baby?” Naruto’s gaze was flickering between the obstetrician and his stomach.  Sasuke rolled his eyes again and smacked the blonde’s hand, ignoring the cry of pain that followed it.

“No, no.” Taji shook her head and raised her hand, shaking it a short quick motion as Naruto rubbed the back of his wounded hand. “Everything is fine. Sasuke should be feeling the kicks regularly now and I want him to count them.  It’s an easy way to figure out their schedule.”

“Idiot.” Sasuke added.

“Oh,” Naruto’s fear melted off his face at the explanation and he looked to Sasuke with a relieved smile. “That’s good then.” He completely ignored the pregnant male’s last comment and Sasuke grumpily crossed his arms over his chest. Sakura tried not to giggle, stifling the sounds through pursed lips and the Uchiha sent her a dark look.

“Well then, you’re all set.” Taji spoke with laughter in her voice. Unwillingly, the pregnant male dropped his glare and moodily moved to sit up, ignoring his husband’s helping hand. “I’ll see you two in two weeks?” The older woman asked.

“Yeah, I’ll try to be here for it next time.”  Naruto chuckled. He rubbed his nose as he stood, bright blue eyes watching Sasuke stand and grab his jacket.

“Good, now go get yourselves some lunch.  No ramen, Naruto, it’s too salty.” Sakura pointed to the blonde as she moved into the room so she could open the door.  Sasuke turned to Taji and bowed, knowing that she would shush him if he tried to thank her.  Naruto followed him towards the door, mouthing ‘thank you’ with a smile as their friend held the door open for them.

“You’re not joining us?” Naruto asked the pink haired woman. Sakura shook her head as she hid a yawn behind her hand.  The married couple stood outside of the room now, ignoring the curious gazes of people walking down the hall.

“No, I’m picking up a shift at the maternity ward.  I’ll see you guys at dinner.”  She responded. “Go on, Taji-san is going to go over your chart with me.”  The pink haired woman made a shooing motion with her hand and shut the door with a tired smile.

“Don’t overwork yourself.” Sasuke called through the door. They didn’t hear Sakura respond and the dark haired male felt Naruto’s hand brush against the back of his own before. Taking the blonde’s hand, they turned and walked down the hall with the ring on Sasuke’s finger pressing into his skin in a way the pregnant male liked.

“Where would you like to eat? I’m out of ideas since Sakura pulled Ichiraku’s is off the table.”  Naruto asked with a grin.  Sasuke glanced to his husband and shrugged his shoulders, his mind working in about six different plans, all of them with the same goal.

“I need to stop by one of the scroll rooms before we go to lunch.”  The dark haired male murmured.  They made it into the main foyer of the hospital without anyone stopping them to ask about the baby and the Uchiha considered that a small victory.

“Okay, no problem.” Naruto responded easily. Stepping out into the brisk, chilly November air and cloudy skies, the blonde visibly shivered and pulled his hand away to zip up his flak jacket.  Sasuke started walking ahead of him, stepping aside when a woman in a nurse uniform walked past.  She only glanced at his prominent stomach once and did it as she was nodding to him as she passed. “You warm enough?”

Sasuke jerked his up in a nod once, waited until Naruto was trying to slip his hand back into the Uchiha’s grip.  They walked together away from the hospital, the blonde pulling the dark haired male’s hand into his jacket pocket with a wide grin when Sasuke gave him an exasperated look. Naruto’s thumb was rubbing the back of his palm slowly; it was a soothing gesture that Sasuke was grateful for. The quick walk to the Hokage Tower was done in comfortable silence.  Not a lot of people were out in this cold weather, those that were passed by quickly and didn’t bother staring at a married, pregnant couple.

“Wait here.” Sasuke murmured when they reached the front door of the tower.  The dark haired male opened the door and frowned when Naruto pulled it open wider and held it open. Giving his husband frowning glance, Sasuke stepped inside and held out his hand, holding it in front of Naruto’s chest to keep him from entering too.  “I said to wait here.”

“Okay,” Naruto spoke the word slowly. The blonde was giving his husband a confused look.  “Do you think it’s going to take long?”  He asked and wrapped his free hand around his chest to emphasize just how cold he was.

“It shouldn’t, I’ll have you inside in a few minutes.”  Sasuke stepped away from the door, wanting to warm himself up before he had to deal with a certain, irritating, man.

“And what are we going to do exactly?”  Naruto leaned in, letting the open door narrow so as not to keep letting the cold air in. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the blonde and shrugged his shoulders.

“Just, wait here.” He responded with more force. He stared the blonde down until his husband sighed and closed the door, leaving Sasuke in hallway alone. Not wanting to leave Naruto out in the cold for long, he quickly made his way the nearest flight of stairs and up to the office of the sad little man in charge of the scroll room. Luckily, the man was there and Sasuke didn’t have to go searching for him.

“You’re back I see.” The man haughtily called out. He sat behind his desk that was covered in scrolls and folders and didn’t bother looking moving gaze from the file he was reading in his hands.

“I need to do some more research.” Sasuke sighed. Unzipping his jacket, he leaned against the doorframe and waited for the older man to care enough to look up.

“You’re always needing to do more research, when are you going to find what you’re looking for?” He still didn’t look up and the Uchiha fought back the urge to roll his eyes.  It wouldn’t help his case with the man.

“Hn.” Sasuke murmured. He’d used that sound more than he actually spoke entire sentences to the man so he assumed it wouldn’t irritate that much more.  His response seemed to be exactly what the clerk was waiting for and the man set the file in his hand down on top of the cluttered desk.

“If I see that pink haired medic in my scroll room again, I’ll ban you from them for the rest of your life.” The clerk finally looked up. Sasuke watched the older man finally look up, smirking.  Refraining from rolling his eyes again, Sasuke let the man think he won.  He’d do it because it was a small price to pay to get back into the scroll rooms.

“I’ll be sure to tell her so.” Sasuke straightened and slipped his hands into his jacket pockets, he made himself look bored and sent the man a deadened stare.  The clerk’s victorious smirk disappeared when he realized the Uchiha wasn’t going to give him a response to his gloating.

“Hmph!” He sat back in his chair, surveying the pregnant male with a scowl for a second before standing up and brushing past said male.  Sasuke smirked and turned, following the shorter man back to the stairwell and up to the third floor. The pregnant male waited patiently for the clerk to get the key to the specific scroll room out his pocket and to unlock it.

“Thank you.” Sasuke murmured when the clerk opened the door.  The shorter man stuffed the key back into his pocket and stepped back so the Uchiha could enter the room. Sasuke glanced to the clerk, holding back a smirk at his disgruntled expression.

“Remember to lock up when you leave.”  The clerk growled. He turned and stalked away from the pregnant male.  Sasuke shut the door to the scroll room behind him and waited ten seconds.  Then, he left the scroll room and crossed the hall, opening the nearest window and leaned his head out.  Naruto was exactly where he left him, running in place with his hands jammed into his flak jacket pockets.

“Dobe.” Sasuke called out. His husband’s head jerked up at the sound so quickly that the pregnant male couldn’t help but smile. “Get up here.” He tried to stop smiling as Naruto took another moment to bend his knees and the next second he was face to face with his husband.

“Why did I have to wait outside if all you were going to do was climb a few flights of stairs?” Sasuke stepped back, glancing to the stairwell for any sign of the scroll room clerk as Naruto climbed through the window.  As soon as the blonde had shut the window and latched it, the Uchiha dragged him into the room. “Sasuke! Did you sneak me into a scroll room?” Naruto hissed quietly. He surveyed the room wide eyed and Sasuke glanced to the room he had been spending so much time in.

“To show you what I’ve found.” The Uchiha locked the door and surged forward. He glanced at each shelf, all the scrolls in place and not a speck of dust to be seen and the simple wooden desk against the back wall and the chair, the one with a reclining back and comfortable seat that Sakura had replaced the wooden uncomfortable one with without the clerk’s approval.

With a learned fluidity, the pregnant male collected the scrolls he needed.  He plucked one or two from the top of neat piles and eased others from the bottom of others until he couldn’t carry any more and set them on the table before getting more.  Naruto watched silently and moved closer when the Uchiha beckoned him and then started to open scroll after scroll.

“What if we get caught?” The blonde asked quietly. Sasuke didn’t look up, too busy opening scrolls and laying them out on the desk for Naruto to look at.

“Sakura was the one that got me into trouble last time.”  The Uchiha replied hotly.  He blinked, realizing how moody he sounded when he wasn’t actually feeling moody anymore. “Don’t worry, I was careful and we won’t be here long enough to get caught.”  He added with a quick glance to his husband.  Naruto nodded with a small smile, he still wasn’t affected by Sasuke’s mood and the pregnant male was grateful for his patience.

“I know you haven’t found anything that can fix Apricot’s seal but what am I looking at?” The blonde questioned. Sasuke looked at the now cluttered desktop and moved to sit in the comfortable chair, easing himself into it. Naruto stood on the opposite side of the desk, leaning over as he glanced at the multiple scrolls. His gaze was concentrated and after a moment he frowned, biting his lower lip as his gaze flicked to another scroll.

“Strengthening her seal time after time isn’t a viable solution but what we can do is work with yours.” Sasuke’s eyes lingered on Naruto’s lower lip before meeting his husband’s gaze and shifted in his seat. His mind was wandering places it shouldn’t be but he didn’t realize just how turned on he was by Naruto’s focused and thinking look.  Stupid hormones.

“My seal? But nothing’s wrong with mine.” The blonde leaned forward, setting his hands on the edge of the desk.  Sasuke forced himself to look down at the scrolls and skimmed over their content, he’d already read them several times over.

“Yes, your seal was done correctly.  The structure of it is stable.”  He leaned back and set a hand on his stomach, unable to stop from glancing up again with a lopsided smile.  His husband was outright confused now, frowning with pursed lips and utterly adorable.

“So?” Naruto flicked his gaze up and caught Sasuke’s stare.  The Uchiha’s smile widened and he reached inside his pants pocket and pulled out a folded sheet.

“So, that means we have a stable base to work off of.”  He unfolded it and set it on top of some of the scrolls, showing his husband the copy of his seal with notes written all over it.  The blonde blinked and leaned closer to the desk, looking closely at what was written in the notes.  It took Naruto a few minutes to sort through Sasuke’s cramped but organized notes and then it seemed to click, the blonde realized what the notes were describing.

“You want to add to my seal? I didn’t think that was possible.” The blonde continued to study the notes, picking the sheet up and holding it up for him to get a closer look. Sasuke smirked and glanced down to his hand, playing almost absentmindedly with his ring.

“That’s one of the better parts of seals, so many layers to weave through.”  He looked up, smirking as he added a suggestive tone to his words. Naruto flashed him a quick grin before replacing it with a thoughtful look.  A thought started to filter through the pregnant male’s mind, he’d fantasized about his husband while working in this room countless times but this was the first time Naruto was actually in the room.  He wondered how long it would take before the clerk came to check up on him and if they could get away with a quickie, Sasuke nearly licked his lips at the idea.

“What would we have to do?” Naruto set the sheet back down and eyed his husband appraisingly.  “It can’t be as simple as drawing one or two extra lines.”  Sasuke nodded.  The blonde seemed to be more receptive to the idea than Sakura had been, though she didn’t have Sasuke’s research laid out in front of her.

“It’s much more complicated than that.  Most of the work will be trial and error, trying to find the best combination that works.” The Uchiha picked the sheet back up, folding it and returning it to his pocket.  Naruto rolled up one of the scrolls and moved it so he could sit on the edge of the desk.

“When are you going to go to the Hokage with this?”  He asked. Sasuke’s mind seemed to be a little busy imagining himself on his knees in front of his husband rather than thinking of a response.  Standing up with only a little difficulty, the Uchiha walked around the desk and stood next to his husband.

“Soon. I’m making a list of possible combinations so we can start testing them as soon as we get her approval.” He leaned into the blonde’s personal space and gave him a kiss, setting his hands on Naruto’s thighs and rubbing them suggestively.  Naruto was grinning when the Uchiha pulled away, hands coming up to his shoulders and sliding down to his waist.

“What’s up with you? You went from moody to all, this.” The blonde murmured. Sasuke answered him with another, deeper kiss and let his fingers slide to his husband’s inner thighs. He heard Naruto inhale sharply through his nose as his fingers wandered closer to his groin and he smirked, his idea might be closer to reality than he first thought.

“I imagined us doing it here, on the desk.”  Sasuke knew he didn’t need to explain what ‘it’ was.  He opened his eyes and found that Naruto was already looking at him, his bright blue eyes wide and focused on his lips.  The dark haired male leaned back a little farther and licked his lips teasingly. Naruto’s mouth dropped open at the sight and when Sasuke was certain the blonde would take him up on his offer, Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head.

“You know we can’t.” Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek to keep from outright frowning as his husband gently pushed him back a step. “I thought you didn’t want to get caught with me in here.”  Naruto gave him a hopeful smile, probably fearing that the pregnant male would take his rebuff badly and go back to being moody.  It wasn’t Sasuke had been hoping for but he wasn’t entirely disappointed, the blonde did like his ideas about the Kyoko problem.

“Doesn’t stop me from thinking about it.”  The Uchiha huffed. Sasuke leaned in for another kiss, which his husband accepted passively.  It seemed he was stunned by Sasuke’s easy acceptance.  “Fine, let’s go.”  He pulled back with a smirk and watched the blonde blink rapidly. Stepping back, the dark haired male turned to the door, wanting to check the hallway before he let Naruto out. It wouldn’t do to get caught, especially if they weren’t going to be caught in flagrante delicto.

“Sasuke, we can still do it! I mean, you know, at home.” The blonde finished lamely. With ease that could only come from muscle memory, the pregnant male unlocked the door, turned the handle and opened the door silently. 

“I know that, Dobe.” He peered out into the hallway, found it to be void of any life and opened the door wider.  Naruto stepped up behind the pregnant male looking relieved. Sasuke grabbed him by the arm and led him out of the room, ushering him towards the window.  “Go.”  The Uchiha hissed in a loud whisper.

He watched as the blonde opened the window and hoisted himself up through it with a giddy smile. Sasuke shut the door to the room again and moved back to the desk, rolling the scrolls up with care. It took a little time for him to place the scrolls where they belonged but once he finished he was out the door, locking it behind him.  Sasuke maneuvered himself down the stairs, past the clerk’s office door that was purposely left open so he could watch for the Uchiha leaving, and out the front door quickly. Naruto was waiting for him just outside the doors and immediately grabbed his husband’s hand.

“Still want to go out to lunch?” The Uchiha asked. He let the blonde pull their hands into the flak jacket pocket as they left the Hokage tower. His husband shrugged his shoulders with a smile and the dark haired male knew that going out to eat was no longer on the table.  Not that he actually cared about what he was going to have for lunch.

“I’m sure we can whip something up at home.”  Naruto hummed. Sasuke snorted, his grip tightening around the blonde’s hand inside the pocket in anticipation.

* * *

  **November twenty-third, still the twenty-eighth week**

“Why are we going to meet with the Hokage?”  Kyoko asked. She sounded hesitant as she spoke just loud enough to be heard.  The red haired girl was sticking annoyingly close to his side as they made their way to the Hokage tower.  This was the fifth day in a row he was making this trip but it was the first time he was bringing Kyoko with him and the younger girl’s antics were grating his nerves.

“Because this concerns you.” He tried not to snap at her. It was early in the morning and the few people that were already up and about avoided the two as they walked down the street.  The girl didn’t take well to the people who looked at her in fear and even less so to the ones that were glaring at her.

“Oh,” The girl seemed to be mollified, at least until she opened her mouth again. “Did you find something? Are you going to be able to fix everything?”  Sasuke looked down at her sharply and she shut her mouth, her teeth clacking together loudly. She looked down at her feet and slowed her pace until she was trailing after him, practically on his heels. The red headed girl was obsessively running her hand over her braid now, her breathing shallow and little harsh, rasping sounds.  He’d set her off on a mini-panic attack, again.  At least Naruto wasn’t there to make it worse.

“I’ll explain when we get there.” The Uchiha sighed. She nodded her head without bothering to look up and the pregnant male thought she looked like a small dog, following him obediently.  He tried not to grin at the thought and he made a note to remember to tell Naruto about it later.

Kyoko managed to remain quiet for the rest of the walk to the tower and Sasuke made sure to shoot glares back at anyone who sent glares their way.  Shizune was waiting for them when they entered the tower and she smiled at Kyoko, Sasuke’s stomach and then Sasuke, in that order.

“Apricot, Sasuke, it’s so good to see you again.”  The older woman greeted. Kyoko tentatively raised her head, peeking from under her bangs to give a small smile.

“Shizune.” Sasuke murmured. He unzipped his jacket, already feeling stifled in the heated building and watched the red head next to him started to fidget.  The girl was playing with the hem of her green sweater and constantly moving her feet inside the shoes the Uchiha had ordered her to wear.

“I’ll be taking you up to the Hokage’s office.”  Shizune crossed her arms over her chest and turned her body in the direction she would lead them. Kyoko immediately stepped forward and as Sasuke started to follow, he could feel someone watching him. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end as he moved to flank the younger girl while Shizune took her place on Apricot’s other side.

“What’s with the escort?” Sasuke questioned softly. Shizune glanced to him but looked away as soon as they made eye contact.  Kyoko’s eyes were wide as her shoulders stiffened at the thought of someone following them.

“They’re aware of the situation, Apricot is a bit of a wild card.”  The dark haired woman grinned.  Her voice was playful but Sasuke got the message layered underneath the joke. The anbu were aware that he couldn’t use his bloodline limit while he was pregnant and were there to watch Kyoko in case she lost control.  Sasuke knew they hadn’t been followed from the compound so at least he knew where the anbu stood with their priorities.  “How have you been, Apricot?”

“Okay, I guess.” The red headed girl answered softly. “Iruka’s been teaching me a lot.” Her voice quivered with nervousness and she bit her lower lip as she glanced up to the older woman.

“Like what?” Shizune asked. She smiled kindly as they started up the first flight of stairs; Sasuke let the two women move ahead of him so they wouldn’t take up the whole stairwell.  Kyoko turned her head to the older women as she responded, her cheeks flushing red.

“How to write and read.” The girl answered softly. She seemed embarrassed admitting it and the Uchiha raised an eyebrow at the back of her head. It had been a while since he’d seen her embarrassed; normally her response was to quietly fume or voice her indignation loudly.

“Are you having a hard time with it?”  Shizune asked. They paused on a landing, letting a couple of older chuunin pass them on the landing between flights. Kyoko lowered her gaze to her feet and Sasuke glared at them as they passed.

“I, I don’t think so.” The smaller girl answered. She seemed surprised the amount of interest Shizune was taking in her studies.  “Kakashi and Yamato’s training is harder, they make me practice it until I can’t do it anymore.”  Sasuke ignored the several anbu watching them from the ceiling and the few jonin loitering around when Shizune led them down a familiar hallway.

“How long does it take for you to get their training down?”  Kyoko looked up to Shizune with a small smile at the question.

“Eventually. It takes a couple days sometimes.” Apricot’s answer made the older woman laugh and the red head’s smile widened.  Shizune stopped in front of the Hokage’s office door and held out a hand, motioning for them to wait.  Sasuke watched Kyoko nod as Shizune slipped into the office and shut the door behind her. It opened a few seconds later so the dark haired woman could poke her head out.

“She’s ready for you.” She murmured softly and opened the door wider.  The pregnant male waited for Kyoko to step inside first and followed her into the room. Tsunade was watching them with a stern expression as they came in, her fingers intertwined in front of her with her elbows on the desk.

“Sasuke, Apricot.” She said in a cool welcome. The redhead stepped in front of the desk stiffly, her eyes cast downward as she played with her braid. Sasuke took his place next to her, shifting his weight to find a comfortable position to stand.

“Hokage-sama.” He responded quietly. He could see Kyoko tilting her head to glance at him from the corner of his eye and then jerk her head back to face the Hokage.

“Hokage-sama.” The redhead quickly followed the Uchiha’s lead.  Tsunade smirked, dropping her hands onto the desk and leaning back in her seat.

“Let me start of by saying that none of our experts have found anything of use.” She crossed her arms over her chest and appraised the pregnant male in front of her.  Sasuke tilted his head in acknowledgement but he wasn’t surprised that they hadn’t found anything.

“I’m assuming they suggested a few other things we could try?”  He asked. It wouldn’t surprise him if they had told the Hokage that the best option was to kill the girl, or worse, try to seal Kyuubi’s chakra into someone else.

“More than a few,” She snorted with derision.  “What have you got for me, Uchiha?”  Tsunade didn’t elaborate but the dark haired male knew that whatever they were, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

“Kyoko’s seal isn’t what needs to be fixed.”  The blonde woman’s eyes widened and she blinked twice before the Uchiha continued. “It’s Naruto’s.” This time the dark haired male glanced to Kyoko to see her whip her head in his direction. She did it so fast that her braid hit her in the face and she spluttered in surprise.

“What are you talking about?” Tsunade asked. Her eyes had narrowed into slits by the time Sasuke looked back to her.

“The parts of her seal that are missing could only have been made when it was first created.” Sasuke started to explain. He paused as Tsunade rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“There’s nothing we can do to fix Apricot’s seal, I get that.”  The Hokage huffed in annoyance.  “Explain what you meant about Naruto’s seal needing to be fixed.”  Apricot shifted next to him, shifting from one foot to another before rocking forward onto her toes and then back on her heels. Sasuke mentally counted to five to keep himself from making a sarcastic remark.

“Naruto’s seal contains half of Kyuubi’s chakra easily.  With a few modifications and a lot of effort on Naruto’s part, he should be able to take the rest of the demon’s chakra and keep it contained.” He explained concisely.

“Transfer Apricot’s half of Kyuubi to Naruto.”  Tsunade murmured thoughtfully.  “It’s such a simple idea.  How do you propose we go about it?”

“I’ve compiled a list of possible additions to his seal, I just need to find the combination that works best.” The Uchiha paused before adding. “If your experts can think of anything else, they can be added.”  Tsunade smirked at that and motioned for him to come closer.

“Did you bring the list with you?” She asked.  Sasuke nodded and pulled a folded piece of paper out from his pocket.  He stepped forward as the Hokage held out her hand for it and slipped it into her grip. The Hokage unfolded the sheet of paper and looked through its contents as the dark haired male stepped back. “This is a list of scrolls with seals in some of the scroll rooms.”

“That’s my list.” Sasuke responded. Tsunade raised an eyebrow but looked interested.

“I’ll send a copy of this to our so called ‘experts’ and see what they have to say.  Get Kakashi up to date on what you’ve found, he’ll be taking the lead on this.”

“What?” Sasuke growled. He could hear Kyoko stepping away from him as he curled his hands into fists and frowned at the blonde woman in front of him.  Tsunade wasn’t fazed by his reaction; she set the piece of paper aside on her desk and turned her attention back to the Uchiha, an eyebrow raised.

“Did you think I would let you continue to do this on your own?  You’re on maternity leave, Uchiha.”  The Hokage stated simply.  Sasuke clenched his teeth as he tried to breathe steadily through the anger.

“You can’t just take this away from me, Naruto is my husband, Kyoko is my responsibility.” The pregnant male tried to keep his voice steady but it was deep and dark.

“Apricot is this village’s responsibility.”  Tsunade shot back. She glared at the pregnant male, daring him to correct her.  “Your husband may be the Kyuubi’s container but you have to understand that the safety of your child needs to come first.” 

“I do understand that.” The pregnant male snapped.

“Then you know if Kyuubi breaks free at any time during these attempts, even for a second, you’ll be in danger. Your child will be in danger.” Sasuke opened his mouth to retort but the Hokage continued.  “You can’t always do everything by yourself, brat.”  The Hokage finished with a smirk because they both knew that she would have the final say.

“What would I have to do?” Kyoko spoke up for the first time since the conversation started.  Sasuke turned his head to look at her, she stood several feet away from him but at least she wasn’t nervously twitching or looking down at her feet. “What can I do to help?” The younger girl was staring at the Hokage, her face set in determination rather than fear.

“Don’t let Kyuubi escape, to start.” Tsunade answered. “But I’m assuming she’s integral to testing the effectiveness of Naruto’s modified seal?”  She directed the question at Sasuke who nodded.

“At the cost of her seal degrading rapidly, yes.”  The pregnant male answered.  He could see the redhead shudder but the older blonde woman didn’t seem to be fazed. “Naruto’s clones and Apricot would have to physically touch each other to test the strength of each addition and combination.”

“We’ll just have to set up extra precautions then, won’t we?”  She asked with a grin.  Sasuke rolled his eyes before glaring at the blonde woman.

“Kakashi will have to, you mean.” He corrected her. Apricot seemed to relax when she heard his sarcasm; she stepped closer to him and resumed her position standing next to the pregnant male.  Her expression was determined and the Hokage gave her a quick glance with a smirk.

“And Yamato, might as well bring him into this too.”  Tsunade added. The older woman was now grinning gleefully at the Uchiha.

“Fantastic.” Kyoko muttered sarcastically. Sasuke agreed with her but didn’t bother to say it out loud.  The Hokage shrugged her shoulders, as if she could care less and turned her attention to the sheet Sasuke had handed her.

“Off you go then,” Tsunade waved the back of her palm towards them in a shooing motion. “And relax, Uchiha, wouldn’t want you going into labor prematurely.”  Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from making a snappish reply.

“Hokage-sama.” He murmured instead. Beside him, Kyoko bowed her head as he turned to leave.

“Hokage-sama.” Kyoko echoed.  Sasuke could hear the redhead chasing after him as he opened the door and stepped out of the office.  The young redhead caught up to him by running down the hall and was watching him with wide eyes.  “Why are you mad?”

“I started this, I should end it.”  Sasuke ground out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned above, I'm not prepared to start monthly updates. It took me three weeks to write four pages, I ended up scrapping it and rewrote the four pages in three days. Feel free to check my profile for news on updates.


	35. Katon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information for this chapter was taken from the Naruto Wikia page: Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique and a few videos on youtube that showed the technique. Apologies in advance if it isn't right.

**November twenty-sixth, the twenty-ninth week,**

Sasuke was looking over a scroll when he felt the baby kick, again.  With a sigh, he set the scroll down on the coffee table and with some amount of effort, moved to sit up.  He reached for the sheet of paper next to a pile of scrolls with a pencil to add another line to the other two-dozen he’d drawn throughout the day. “What’s the score?” Sakura asked.  She was sitting in the chair next to the couch and was watching him with a smile on her face.  The pregnant male glanced to her as he placed the piece of paper back down.

“Mostly active mid-morning and around dusk, some movement throughout the day and it’s mostly when Naruto is nearby.”  He rattled off the information, bored enough to be a little annoyed.  The pink haired woman rolled her eyes and set her medical book down in her lap.

“Specifically.” Sakura stated with force.

“At the most active, ten kicks in half an hour.  The very least, fifteen in two hours.”  Sasuke rattled the information off as he picked up the scroll again.  “And when Naruto is being loud.”

“Completely fine and normal.” The pink haired woman smiled and flipped a page over in her book.  “When is Naruto going to be out of the roster for perimeter duty?” She looked down at her medical book but wasn’t reading it anymore.

“They couldn’t switch him out until the end of the week.”  Sasuke grumbled.  The pink haired woman raised an eyebrow but didn’t seem all that surprised at the cause of the delay.

“Have you been having any physical problems?”  She continued with the informal questioning and the Uchiha frowned at his scroll. When Sasuke didn’t answer right away, the pink haired woman started to stare him down.

“I’ve been constipated.” He mumbled. Sasuke glanced up to see her rolling her eyes and looked back to his scroll huffily.

“That’s normal, make sure you’re drinking enough water and getting enough exercise. I’ll give you something to help with it if that doesn’t solve the problem.  Do you have heartburn or anything like that?”  It was the Uchiha’s turn to roll his eyes and he shook his head.

“No.” He stated pointedly. The sound of the front door opening interrupted Sakura’s questioning and they both looked to the entryway to see Kakashi and Yamato pulling off their shoes, flak jackets, and jackets that were beneath that.

“It’s really getting cold out there.”  Yamato called out. “Let’s hope Naruto doesn’t freeze out there tonight.”

“You’re late.” Sasuke pointed out testily. Sakura looked back to the Uchiha before watching Yamato and Kakashi settle into the room. Kakashi took one of the armrests of the couch as a seat while Yamato set himself down on the floor across the coffee table from the Uchiha.

“Relax Sasuke, it’s not even dinner time yet.”  Kakashi said offhandedly.

“Late for what?” The pink haired woman asked.

“We’re going over what Sasuke’s found, he’s got everything ready for tomorrow but the Hokage won’t let him work on this by himself.”  Yamato explained with a smile.  Sasuke glared at him before looking to Kakashi with the same expression.

“I thought Naruto wasn’t getting out of perimeter duty until the end of the week?” The pink haired woman frowned. Sasuke tilted his head in acknowledgment.

“We’re going to be using clones until he does.”  He murmured.

“He’ll take gate duty if he’s feeling tired or if he can’t concentrate with us dispelling his clones.” Yamato explained when it seemed that the pregnant male wasn’t going to elaborate further.

“Where’s Apricot?” Sakura asked.  She closed the book in her lap and Yamato shrugged his shoulders.

“She’s learning how to do math with Umino-san, do we need her?”  The brown haired male asked.  Sasuke readjusted himself in his seat and shook his head.  Kakashi sighed loudly and spoke out loud for the dark haired male.

“The seal additions won’t have any lasting effect on her.”  He explained. The Uchiha nodded at the correct reasoning and set the scroll he had been looking at down on the short table in front of him.  Spreading it open, the pregnant male revealed only some of the neatly organized symbols that he’d written down.

“Do you want to stay for this?”  Sasuke looked up to Sakura only to see that she was looking at the seal symbols with interest.

“I’ve got nowhere else to be, besides, it’ll be interesting to see what you’ve found.” The pink haired woman grinned and pointed to one of the symbols on the page.  “Why this seal, I know it’s already a part of both Apricot and Naruto’s seals.” Sasuke started to respond but stopped, his expression contorting into something akin to discomfort.

“It’s used as a base for parts of their seals,” The Uchiha place a hand on his side as he leaned forward to scratch another mark on the paper he was using to keep track of the baby’s movements.  With a short exhale of breath, Sasuke leaned back again and relaxed.  “We know it works for the original seal so it should be compatible for strengthening it.”

“What about the rest of them?” Kakashi gestured to the scroll. Sasuke turned his head to raise an eyebrow at the white haired male.

“These are all possible bases for his seal, this is just the first scroll.”  Sasuke smirked when he saw the jonin frown.

“Of how many?” Yamato asked.  He and Sakura were immediately glancing to the pile of scrolls on the coffee table and the Uchiha’s smirk widened when he pointed to them.

“Six.” The pregnant male stated.

“Let’s get started then.” Yamato raised his arms to the coffee table and leaned forward to get a closer look at the scroll.

“Do you have copies of Naruto and Apricot’s seals?  It’d make it a lot easier to make sure the symbols will work with Naruto’s seal.” Sakura asked.  The dark haired male rolled the scroll open a little more, pulling two sheets of paper with the individual seals on them.

“That one won’t work.” Kakashi spoke up. Everyone’s attention was on him but the white haired male was still looking at the scroll.

“Which one?” Sasuke asked.  Yamato looked back to the scroll, looking at the symbols to try and see what Kakashi had seen.

“That one,” Kakashi repeated. He made an ambiguous gesture to the scroll.  “Third row, second from the top.”  Sakura turned her head this time and Sasuke glanced at the scroll, quickly identifying the one he was talking about.

“Why? I don’t see anything wrong with it.” The pink haired woman tilted her head in confusion.  Sasuke could remember the scroll he’d gotten the symbol from and the description of what it was capable of, it all looked like it would be compatible.  What was he missing?

“It’s too similar to Naruto’s original base, it’d be useless.”  The white haired male pointed out.  Sasuke didn’t bother hiding his frown.  What did Kakashi mean by that?

“He’s right,” Yamato lifted his head as he spoke.  “It wouldn’t hold any more chakra than what the original seal does now if we used it.” Sasuke’s eyes narrowed and Sakura looked to the older male.

“But why? How do you know?” Sakura persisted.

“Right here,” Yamato pointed at the top of Naruto’s seal.  “We’d have to add the base of the additions to the base of the original but they’d mold together. That specific combination leaves everything based on the second symbol effectively useless.”

“Scratch it off.” Sasuke stated. He gave the symbol one last glance before looking away.  Yamato reached for a pencil and hastily scratched through it.

“Creating a seal is easier than making improvements to one.  It can get pretty complicated.”  The dark haired man explained.  He looked up from the scroll with a smile but the Uchiha scoffed and shifted again on the couch.

“It’s one less symbol and it saves us a few hundred combinations we’d have to try.” Kakashi explained. “There’s bound to be a few more that we won’t be using.”  The Uchiha rolled his eyes and waved his hand at the scroll, motioning for them to continue.

* * *

  **November twenty-seventh, still the twenty-ninth week,**

Waking up with Naruto in bed with him was something Sasuke missed in the past few weeks. He no longer woke up at the break of dawn, more recently; he was waking up closer to noon.  So whenever he opened his eyes and found his husband next to him, the Uchiha took a few seconds to relish the feeling.

A few minutes later when he was actually awake, he noticed that the blonde was laying stomach down and face turned toward the Uchiha.  Naruto’s face was smudged with dirt and he’d stripped off his sweater and undershirt but had left his pants on.  Shifting, the pregnant male moved closer to his husband and for a second thought about going back to sleep.  Then, another idea wiggled its way into the dark haired male’s mind.

They hadn’t even tried to do it since the last time all those weeks ago and they were in the exact same situation, Naruto asleep and he was horny.  Licking his lips in anticipation, Sasuke let his gaze linger for a few more seconds before he dragged himself to his side of the bed. Grabbing the lube, the dark haired male grunted softly as he rolled onto his side facing the blonde.

Naruto was still dead to the world when the Uchiha found a comfortable position and had set the lube down between them.  He didn’t even twitch when Sasuke raised his hand to pet his hair, it was already mussed, coarse with dried sweat but the Uchiha didn’t mind.  Trailing his fingers down the blonde’s neck to his back, he traced the outlines of his shoulder blades and then down the ridges of his spinal column. When he reached the hem of the black pants, Sasuke set his hand on Naruto’s hip and pushed him onto his side.

The blonde’s mouth opened at the movement but he remained fast asleep, didn’t even flinch. Smirking, the pregnant male made quick work of the buttons and pulled down both pants and boxers as far as they would allow.  Sasuke gripped Naruto’s hip and pulled him to lie on his stomach again so he could tug the clothing down farther.  When his husband’s rear was fully exposed, he let his fingertips trail across the soft, tan skin.

Using his free hand, Sasuke popped open the lube and spread some onto two of his fingers. He capped the bottle and tossed it aside before spreading the blonde’s cheeks apart.  Moving up into a better position to see, Sasuke swiped a finger over the blonde’s pink opening.  The pregnant male glanced up to see if Naruto had felt his finger but the blonde was still dead asleep.

“It’s time to wake up.” Sasuke murmured. Naruto remained lifeless and so the dark haired male continued to spread the lube across softening muscles. Once he felt they were thoroughly coated, the dark haired male pressed his middle finger against them and slipped his finger inside.  It was tight and hot inside the blonde, made slippery with the lube and the pregnant male licked his lips.

Gently pumping his finger, the Uchiha kept a close eye on his husband’s face for any sort of reaction. When he felt that the muscles were loose enough, he pushed in a second finger and smirked when he heard the blonde’s breathing change.  Naruto’s facial muscles started to twitch as he was pulled away from his dreams by the physical sensations.  Curling his fingers, Sasuke searched for a certain bundle of nerves and found it after a few thrusts. The blonde’s popped open in surprise, his mouth dropping open as Sasuke rubbed the tips of his fingers against his prostate.

“Good morning.” Sasuke murmured huskily. He leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss to the blonde’s cheek.  His protruding stomach brushed up against his husband’s side and Naruto started to wiggle next to him, stretching.  Sasuke had been enjoying the dull arousal from fingering his husband but he felt himself grow harder at the thought of the blonde waking up to catch him.

“This feels, oh, familiar.” Naruto sounds groggy, even when he lets out another small moan.  He blinked rapidly a few times and raised a hand to wipe sleep from his eyes. “You did this the last time you topped too.” Sasuke started to scissor his fingers, smirking when his blonde twitched under his ministrations. The pregnant male placed his lips against Naruto’s cheek again but pulled back when Naruto made an attempt to capture his lips.

“Watching you sleep makes me want to fuck you.”  Sasuke whispered in his ear.  His husband groaned, closing his eyes as the dark haired male pressed a third finger into him. Naruto’s hips canted into his fingers and the Uchiha pulled them out, leaving the blonde to raise his hips and grunt softly at the loss.

“Maybe I should take naps more often then.”  The blonde smiled. He bit his lip suggestively and raised his hands to get up but the Uchiha pressed his hand to the middle of the blonde’s back, spreading the lube from his fingers onto the flawless skin. The pregnant male’s growing erection was pressing uncomfortably against his clothes and he knew he’d have to get out of them sooner rather than later.

“Hn.” Sasuke hummed. He made sure his husband was going to stay where he was before tugging off his pants and underwear, moving his hand to the bed to help him sit up.  Naruto watched him closely, a smile still evident as the Uchiha flung a leg over and settled himself on top of the back of tan thighs.  Leaning down, Sasuke reached for the lube and popped it open again. “Relax.”  He said quietly.  The blonde craned his neck to look at his pregnant husband and nodded, still smiling.

“If you have any problems, let me know.”  Naruto winked. He let his head drop back onto the pillow and sighed softly.  Sasuke watched him relax with a raised eyebrow; the blonde hardly ever just sat back and let Sasuke have his way with him.  After a second of silence, the Uchiha held the bottle of lube over the crease between Naruto’s cheeks and squeezed out the clear gel-like substance.  Almost immediately, his husband was trying to jerk away, his eyes opening again in surprise.  “It’s cold.” He explained.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow again as he spread the lube with his fingers and the blonde relaxed again. He waited for the lube to warm before he pressed his fingers against Naruto’s entrance, making sure he was still stretched.  After that, the pregnant male gripped the blonde’s cheeks, spreading them as he pressed his erection between them.  He couldn’t help but let out a long sigh, it was hot and slick, creating friction that made his cock ache.

“Mh, feels good.” The blonde mumbled. Sasuke lifted his gaze from his husband’s ass to his face, taking in his fingers that were curled into the sheets, his eyes closed and facial muscles completely lax.  It looked like the blonde was falling back asleep. Squeezing the tan globes of muscles together, the Uchiha slowly moved his hips, thrusting his erection between them. Naruto made a short moaning sound but didn’t bother moving.  Repeating the action, Sasuke inhaled sharply through his nose as the underside of his swollen abdomen pressed against warm skin.

Repeating the action, the pregnant male felt a shiver race down his spine and he could see the way Naruto’s fingers twitched, tightening around the bed sheet. The Uchiha pulled one of his husband’s ass cheeks away again and gripped himself, pressing the head of his cock past the loosened entrance.

“Ooh.” Naruto moaned as Sasuke pressed into him.  The muscles were clamping down on the Uchiha’s cock and he paused.  Sasuke brushed his fingers across tan hips, enjoying the way Naruto squirmed underneath him.  Naruto opened his eyes again, tilting his head back so he could look up at his husband with a dazed smile.  Slowly, Sasuke pulled himself out and started rutting his erection between lubed cheeks again. “Tease.”  Naruto laughed breathlessly.

“You love it.” Sasuke whispered. The blonde lifted his arms, tucking them under his pillow with a smile as Sasuke continued to manipulate his lower body. Naruto made a humming noise, pressing his face into the pillow and continued to let his husband have his dirty way with him.  With a smirk, Sasuke entered the blonde again and pressed in further.  His husband was starting to breath heavily, his lips parted and eyes focused on the Uchiha’s face.

The pregnant male pressed his hips against firm cheeks before pulling away.  Naruto let out a groan but didn’t protests as the Uchiha thrust into him at a slow pace.  After a few seconds of this, the blonde closed his eyes and let his mouth drop open. When he pulled out again, he expected his husband to protest but he was quiet, his eyes remaining closed. Frowning, Sasuke pressed into him again, purposely looking for a response but all he got was only Naruto’s mouth opening a little wider.

“Are you asleep?” The Uchiha asked quietly. After a second of silence, Sasuke shifted, pressing his length past the loosened entrance and angling for his husband’s prostate.  Naruto’s body jerked when he found it, the blonde’s eyes fluttering open as if he were waking up.

“Mh.” The blonde answered. Sasuke’s initial reaction was to hit the blonde for falling asleep in the middle of sex but he didn’t. Naruto had been awake the entire day before and all of last night so it was no surprise that he was tired. Rolling his hips, Sasuke waited for his husband to wake up more but Naruto was fighting to stay asleep.

“Dobe.” He called out softly. Raising his hand, the pregnant male ran his fingers down the line of raised bumps of Naruto’s spinal column. The blonde shifted, his body twitching away from the slightly cool fingers.  “Naruto.”  Sasuke called out, louder this time.  He slid his hand down to a tan side and pressed against spots he knew were sensitive. This had the blonde squeezing his eyes shut and trying to shift away with a drawn out whine.

“M’wake, just five, five mo-minutes.” Naruto mumbled. The Uchiha pulled out and thrust in again hard, knowing he would graze the blonde’s prostrate with the movement. He watched his husband’s eyes pop open in surprise and listened to the strangled moan with amusement. Naruto craned his neck to look up and blinked several times, still bleary from his doze.

“You fell asleep.” Sasuke explained. He couldn’t hold back his grin as his husband’s gaze focused and the blonde frowned, as if suddenly realizing what was happening.

“In the middle of sex?” Naruto questioned. Sasuke rocked into him again, making the blonde gasp.

“You weren’t exactly, awake when I started.”  The Uchiha answered. He smirked and picked up a pace again, watching for each and every reaction the blonde gave him.

“Oh, that explains a lot.” Naruto grinned. He stretched, tensing up his lower body as he shifted his upper body.  The blonde’s muscles were clenching down on the dark haired male tightly and Sasuke let out a grunt.  His husband lowered one of his arms, fingers gripping the sheets near his hip.

“Wanna help me out a little? I can’t reach.” The blonde murmured. Naruto grinned and motioned to his hip again but Sasuke understood what he was saying.  He wanted to reach for his own erection trapped between the bed and his body.

“No.” Sasuke answered smugly. The blonde groaned and tried to squeeze his hand under his body anyway.  Reaching down, Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s wrist, held it down, and listened to his husband whine.

“Sasuke! Let me-“ Naruto tried to free his hand but the pregnant male tightened his grip and ground his hips into his husband’s backside.  Another strangled whine escaped his husband’s lips, his eyes screwing shut as he squeezed down on the Uchiha’s length.  Holding back a moan, the pregnant male gripped Naruto’s hip and flexed his fingers. He wasn’t going to last much longer.

“I said no.” Sasuke grunted. The dark haired male changed positions, searching for the most comfortable one before thrusting again. Having been so focused on making sure his husband was asleep and then waking him up, the Uchiha had overlooked his own pleasure.

“Come on.” Naruto whined. The blonde turned his head, burrowing his face into the pillow.  “Don’t be mean.” His words came out muffled but Sasuke understood what he was saying.  The Uchiha smirked and angled his thrusts, hitting his husband’s prostate.

“Let me finish.” Sasuke grunted. The dark haired male didn’t bother waiting for a response and continued fucking the blonde, grip still tight on the blonde’s wrist.  Naruto turned his head again, locking eyes with the Uchiha.  The pinned man twisted his wrist, trying to reach back for his pregnant husband’s hand.  Obsidian eyes darted to the movement and he watched tan fingers twitch toward his palm in a rough gesture.

“Come on.” Naruto murmured. Encouraged by the words, Sasuke hesitated for a second longer before releasing the blonde’s wrist, intertwining their fingers as they held hands.  “Come.” The blonde repeated softly. Sasuke’s eyes widened at the command and a jolt of pleasure spread from his spine to the tips of his limbs. With a few thrusts, the Uchiha was pulling out and ejaculating onto his husband’s back.

Breathing heavily, the pregnant male sat back on Naruto’s thighs, enjoying the aftershocks of his orgasm. Naruto watched him, just barely lifting his head to watch him without bothering to get up.  When he thought he had enough strength, the pregnant male lifted a leg and moved to lie back down beside his husband.

“Gonna help me out now?” Naruto asked with a relaxed grin. The blonde shifted onto his side, showing his flushed length and heavily leaking tip. Sasuke eyed the erection, then looked up with a smirk.  Taking the stiff member into his hand, the pregnant male squeezed the base and made his husband gasp. The dark haired male ran his fingertips along the underside of the limb in his grasp, feeling it twitch in interest.

“Better?” He asked.  Naruto let out a low groan, grasping at the bed sheet as the Uchiha began to jerk him off.  After a few strokes his husband’s body was tensing up, evidence of his orgasm spurting between their stomachs.

“Much.” The blonde sighed happily. He leaned in, kissing his husband soundly on the mouth.  The kiss was soft and yielding, their lips moving in tandem as Naruto snuck his tongue out a few times to tease his husband.  “I love you when you’re frisky.”  He murmured.

“Hn.” Rolling his eyes, the pregnant male lifted his head and turned his upper body to reach for the box of tissues on the nightstand.  The blonde watched with a smile as his husband dropped the box between their heads. Sasuke took a tissue to his swollen middle, cleaning himself off.  Movement in his belly almost caught the Uchiha by surprise; the little one was up for morning exercise.

“I love you when you’re taciturn too.”  His husband chuckled. Sasuke could see the blonde move the tissue box in order to watch him.  The dark haired male glanced up to find the box and reach for a second tissue as the baby moved, probably stretching out his or her legs. Naruto was watching him as he wiped the emissions off of the tan abdomen and when the Uchiha glanced up again, bright blue eyes met his gaze.

“The baby’s moving.” Sasuke finally answered. The blonde’s gaze dropped down to his swollen middle as he raised his hands, pressing them against his husband’s pregnant belly.  They sat in silence for the next few minutes, both of them feeling their baby move. Looking up again, Sasuke watched as the blonde’s expression changed with every kick.  Sasuke watched as the blonde’s face went from surprised to awe and tried not to move too much as the baby readjusted.

“Come here.” Naruto whispered. He looked up with a smile and leaned in, kissing his husband soundly on the mouth.  The blonde tried to scoot closer but the pregnant male pressed a hand against a tan chest and pulled away.

“Need the bathroom.” Sasuke explained. He rolled his body to the edge of the bed and moved to stand as his husband watched.

“I’m coming with you.” The blonde called out suddenly. Turning his head, the Uchiha watched Naruto scoot to the edge of the bed, intent on following him. “Got to brush my teeth.” Naruto explained with a smile. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he pushed himself off the bed and moved towards the bathroom, not expecting the sting of a hand swatting his ass.

Jumping in surprise, the Uchiha looked back to see Naruto grinning, not even bothering to back away if Sasuke were to hit him.  Sasuke glared at the blonde before pointedly turning away.  He expected the blonde to be put out by his refusal to be goaded but as he did his business, Naruto stepped into the bathroom, grinning. Frowning, the Uchiha ignored his husband as he emptied his bladder, refusing to meet the blue-eyed gaze as Naruto brushed his teeth.  When he went to the sink to wash his hands, the dark haired male pinched Naruto’s ass.

“Idiot.” Sasuke growled. The blonde nearly choked on his toothbrush when he jumped.  Washing his hands, Sasuke and continued to ignore his husband, trying not to grin.

* * *

 “Ready?” Yamato asked.  Even the largest training field in the compound was small and Sasuke surveyed the space, hoping it would be big enough. He was leaning against the wall, Naruto standing close to him, Yamato and Kakashi across from them. Apricot was sitting on top of the wall, looking down curiously as the blonde pulled off his shirt. Naruto nodded and raised his hands in the overly familiar symbols.

“Kage bunshin no jutsu!” The blonde called out. The entire training field was immediately covered in smoke and when it dissipated, exact copies of Naruto packed together remained.  Sasuke glanced over the ones he could see, dressed in his signature orange cargo pants. Most of them crossed their arms over their chests, trying to ward off the cold as the original Naruto pulled his long sleeved shirt back on.

“That’s the full hundred and fifty?” Kakashi asked. He looked across the crowded field with his visible eye as if he was trying to count them all.

“Yup.” The real Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and nodded before yawning.  He looked to Yamato with a smile as some of his clones leaned against one another, others starting to shove each other in the cramped space.

“Alright, let’s get to it.” Yamato clapped his hands together and stepped towards the crowd of clones.  “I’m going to need you guys to form some semblance of a line or at least a way to organize you all.”  Sasuke sighed, pressing a hand to the side of his stomach and watched the clones continue to push at each other, some starting to shout at each other.

“What can I do?” Apricot asked. She started to shift when the Uchiha looked up, intent on jumping down but Kakashi raised his hand, motioning for her to stop. 

“Nothing just yet, we’ll have use for you once we’ve gotten symbols written on the clones.” Kakashi dropped his hand and sat down. He placed himself next to the pile of scrolls Sasuke had brought with him and Yamato had added several pots of ink and paintbrushes.  Yamato gave up trying to organize the clones and kneeled down, grabbing an inkpot, a brush and two of the scrolls.

“This is going to take a while isn’t it?”  Naruto asked. Sasuke glanced between his husband and the brown haired male, watching Yamato step a few feet away from Kakashi before sitting down and organizing everything in front of him.

“Take a nap. You look like you need it.” The Uchiha prodded the blonde in the side as he pushed off the wall, taking the scrolls, paintbrush, and the inkpot that the white haired male held out for him.  Naruto watched him come back to the wall and held out his hands when the pregnant male realized he couldn’t sit down with his hands full.

“Are these all the symbols?” The blonde asked when Sasuke was sitting down and taking the items out of his hands.  Once his hands were free, Naruto sat down next to his pregnant husband, leaning against his shoulder.

“Just the base symbols, this isn’t even half of it.”  Kakashi pointedly glanced back to Sasuke.  The Uchiha ignored the look, organizing the items in front of him. He felt the blonde’s lips press against his temple, curved into a smile.

“Somebody was busy.” Naruto murmured into Sasuke’s ear. The Uchiha couldn’t contain his eye roll at that and rolled the shoulder his husband was leaning against. Naruto hummed loudly before lowering his head to bury it in the crook of the pregnant male’s neck and shoulder.

Sasuke looked up to see Kakashi was already working on one of the clones, painting a symbol onto his stomach as the clone tried not to squirm too much.  Yamato was motioning for another to sit down in front of him while opening the first scroll with his other hand.  With a quiet sigh, the Uchiha looked at the crowd of clones and watched as one of them jogged forward, sitting down in front of him with a smile. Opening the inkpot, the Uchiha dipped the paintbrush into it and leaned forward, opening up the first of his two scrolls.

“What are we going to do when people move into the compound?”  The clone asked.  Looking up, Sasuke found that the clone was looking at the real Naruto as he spoke but the soft snoring against his neck meant that his husband was asleep.

“Hopefully we’ll have figured it out by then.”  He answered. “Come closer.” Sasuke motioned for him to come closer and waited for him to settle before dipping the paintbrush into the ink.

“But what if we don’t?” The clone pressed. Carefully, Sasuke began to paint on the first of the many symbols, barely even giving the clone a glance.

“We’ll figure it out.” The Uchiha repeated softly. He watched the blonde clone nod from the corner of his eye and then the Uchiha focused on the symbol. Some of the clones were talking among each other, just out of earshot but when he looked up to reapply the ink, the clones were grouping up, trying to keep warm in the chilly November weather.

“Apricot, come here and touch this clone.”  Kakashi called out. Apricot jumped down from her perch on top of the wall and carefully sidestepped Yamato and his clone as she stepped in front of the now standing clone.  The Uchiha pulled his paintbrush away from the clone’s stomach as he watched the redhead raise her hand, taking Naruto’s clone hand into her own. For a brief second, nothing happened. Suddenly, the freshly drawn symbol was crumbling off and the clone was no longer in existence with a loud ‘poof’.

“What does that mean?” The young girl cried out. Apricot’s bright green eyes were wide as she tried to hold back her panic.

“It didn’t work.” Kakashi answered. Sasuke watched him cross out the symbol in the original scroll and then turn back to the heavy breathing girl. “Calm down.  Does it look like that affected Naruto?”  The white haired male asked.  Sasuke watched the girl lean to the side so she could see the real Naruto, the one who was still fast asleep and leaning against him.

“How do you know that means it didn’t work?”  She asked. Her panic seemed to have subsided but she still looked warily at the crowd of clones behind her.

“It didn’t hold up under Kyuubi’s chakra, if it did, the clone would have shown physical signs of Kyuubi’s chakra leaking.”  Sasuke answered.

“Here, try this one.” Yamato called out softly. Sasuke made the clone lean sideways so he could see the redhead reach out to the clone getting up from in front of Yamato.  When their hands met, the clone visibly jerked and a few seconds later the clone was exuding Kyuubi’s chakra.  Sasuke watched as Kyoko pulled her hand away quickly and Yamato dug a kunai into the clone’s ankle. It disappeared in a cloud of smoke and the real Naruto lifted his head with a start.

“I’m guessing that one worked then?”  He asked sleepily. Yamato didn’t respond but circled the symbol in the scroll.  Apricot looked to Kakashi and Yamato before sitting down between them and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m cold.”  Naruto mumbled.  Pressing closer, the blonde tried to mold himself to the Uchiha’s side.

“What do you want me to do about it?”  The pregnant male asked. He pressed his paintbrush against the clone’s stomach again.  Finishing the seal, Sasuke set the brush down and looked it over.  “Try it.”  The clone nodded and stood, careful not to smudge the paint on his stomach and stood over the young girl.  She held up her hand and watched the clone jump before Kyuubi’s chakra engulfed him. This time Kakashi hit the clone with a shuriken to his shoulder, the weapon falling to the ground in front of Apricot when the clone was nothing more than a dissipating cloud of smoke.

“Oh, I am definitely not going to get any sleep while you guys do this.”  Naruto groaned.  “Wish you could use your fireball technique.”  Sasuke leaned forward to circle the symbol he’d copied and watched another clone walk up to take the other’s place.

“A fireball jutsu? That’d certainly be helpful.” Apricot called out. The Uchiha watched the clone sit down, and waited for him to settle so he could start to paint another symbol. There was another ‘poof’ sound as a clone dispelled and Sasuke could see Kakashi take his brush to the scroll again.

“You can teach her how to do it right, Sasuke?”  Naruto sat up, nudging the pregnant male’s side just enough to catch his attention. Sasuke glanced to him, focusing on the dark circles under his bright blue eyes.  The blonde definitely needed to get some sleep after this.

“Why? She’d just set all of your clones on fire.” He explained.  Leaning forward, he gave his husband a kiss before returning his attention to the clone, knowing that his original blonde was smiling.

“Or us.” Kakashi added. There was a gasp and a clone backed away from Apricot; the Uchiha could see the red glow of Kyuubi’s chakra before it was dispelled.  Yamato chuckled and the girl huffed indignantly.

“Can I at least try?” Apricot asked. Sasuke tried to finish painting the symbol but the clone leaned back, tilting his head with a bright grin. The dark circles under the clone’s eyes were practically staring the Uchiha down and Sasuke could feel the guilt building in his chest.

“It’ll help us pass the time.” Naruto whispered into his ear. Blinking, the pregnant male glanced to the blonde next to him and sighed before giving in.

“Snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger.”  Sasuke listed off the symbols as he motioned for the clone to straighten up.  The blonde did, still grinning when the Uchiha started painting again.

“Wait, you went too fast.” Apricot called out. The Uchiha bit his lower lip as he continued working, not wanting to get distracted by redhead. Whatever she was doing, it caught Kakashi’s attention.

“Will one of you watch her? See that she doesn’t aim at us.” The white haired male called out to the crowd of clones.  Finishing the symbol, the Uchiha set the paintbrush down and wiped his hands as the blonde got up and walked over to Kyoko.  The girl held out her hand and watched as the clone jerked, Kyuubi’s chakra emanating from him for a second before Yamato flung a kunai into his leg. Naruto twitched as the clone dispelled and Sasuke moved to circle the symbol.  The girl tossed the kunai back to Yamato who caught it by the handle and the Uchiha glanced to Apricot as another clone walked past her to sit down in front of him.

“Snake, ram, boar, monkey-“ She murmured.  The redhead had turned to face the clones but Sasuke could see her elbows moving as she did the hand signs.

“No. Snake, ram, monkey, boar.” The Uchiha corrected her. Apricot whipped her head around, craning her neck to try to look at him.

“Monkey, boar. Got it. What comes after that?” She asked.  A clone tapped her on the shoulder and she held up her hand for him to grab.  The clone grabbed it and a few seconds later it disappeared with a loud ‘poof’.

“Horse and tiger.” Sasuke answered. He glanced at the scroll as he dipped his brush in the ink and got ready to paint the next symbol. The redhead crawled away from her spot so she could have a clear line of sight of the Uchiha.

“Snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse and tiger?”  Apricot listed them off and Sasuke glanced up at her when she got it right.

“It’s katon goukakyuu no jutsu.  The chakra is converted to fire and expelled from the mouth.”  Sasuke explained.  He returned his attention to the clone and started to draw his third symbol.  The Uchiha could hear another clone gasp before hearing the sound of it being dispelled.

“That sounds painful.” Apricot said after a moment.

“It is if you do it wrong.” Sasuke responded. “You can use your hand to control it, like this.”  He raised his free hand in her direction, holding out his thumb and pointer finger before curling them into a partial circle.

“Okay. I can do that.” Apricot nodded her head as she practiced the hand signs.  Sasuke watched another clone step up next to the redhead who frowned as she held out her hand for him to take.

“How long do you think it’ll take for her to get it?”  Yamato called out. The clone’s eyes widened as the symbol crumbled off his stomach and it disappeared like the ones before it.

“A week.” Kakashi answered.

“I’ll get it before then.” Kyoko retorted testily. Sasuke glanced up from the circle like symbol he was drawing and watched the girl focus on making the six hand signs in order.

“I’m betting she’ll have a flame by the end of the day.”  One of the blonde’s clones called out.  The Uchiha glanced to the clone in front of him who only shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

“If she can get a flame out of her mouth by today she’ll have it mastered in a week.” Sasuke said loud enough for everyone to hear.  He finished the circular symbol and set the paintbrush down as Kyoko did the hand signs in quick succession.

“Katon! Goukakyuu no jutsu!”  She yelled. The girl held up her hand the way the Uchiha had showed her but when she tried to blow out fire she didn’t have enough air to exhale and ended up coughing through dark smoke that poured out from her mouth.

“Take a deep breath before you do it next time.”  Kakashi advised.  The redheaded girl leaned forward and continued to expel the burnt chakra violently. Crawling onto all fours, Kyoko inhaled deeply and squeezed her eyes shut as a clone leaned over the girl.

“Thanks.” Apricot answered with a hoarse voice. She raised her head, opened her eyes and held out her hand for the clone to take.  The clone jerked his hand out of her grasp as soon as they touched; Kyuubi’s red chakra began to emanate from him.  Kakashi caught the clone in the head with a shuriken and it dropped to the ground before the smoke cleared but Sasuke could feel the original Naruto shift next to him.

“Did you have to hit me in the head?”  Naruto asked. The Uchiha circled the symbol in the scroll he had used on the last clone and watched the redhead recover from inhaling the burning chakra.

“I’m practicing.”  Kakashi responded easily.   Another clone walked around the green eyes girl and sat down in front of the dark haired male. He sat with his back straight and then turned his head to watched Apricot sit back up.

“Go on, try again.”  Yamato encouraged the girl. Kyoko looked over at the brown haired male, still coughing with every few breaths.  Glancing down at the scroll again, the Uchiha heard the girl whisper the hand signs as she did them.

“Snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger.  Katon! Goukakyuu no jutsu!”  Kyoko rasped.


	36. Guardian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been too long and I know it! I am for sure updating April 16th but after that, it's up in the air again.
> 
> Note: I decided to keep the common name for Braxton Hicks contractions because even though it's a real world label in a fictional world, it's good information and I don't want to get reviews saying 'why didn't you just say Braxton Hicks contractions? You weirdo.'
> 
> I also wanted to make Sakura the godmother but that's not really a traditional thing in Japan, so I settled for guardian.

**December third, the thirtieth week,**

Sasuke had set a pot down on the stovetop, intent on making a snack, and hit the handle of it with his rotund belly as he moved to reach for the cabinet. "Dammit!" The Uchiha cursed. The pot clattered to the ground, missing his feet by inches. Chasing after it, he tried to lean over and found that he couldn't. "Fuck me." He hissed. Looking around, the pregnant male leaned back, holding his weight with his hands as he tried to lower himself down within range to grab the pot.

"You okay, Sasuke?" Naruto called out. Grunting in discomfort, the dark haired male widened his stance and reached out, grabbing the pot by the handle. Setting it up on the counter, Sasuke pushed himself back up into a standing position, feeling the strain on his muscles.

"Fine." The Uchiha hissed. He was seething when his husband made an appearance in the doorway. "Dropped the pot." Sasuke explained angrily. Slamming the pot down on the counter, he scowled at it and reached for another pot, one that hadn't been on the ground.

"Why are you cooking?" His husband asked. The pregnant male shot the blonde a dark look as he filled the new pot with water. Naruto came up behind him, hands running up and down his sides comfortingly.

"I'm hungry." He muttered. Moving away from the sink, the blonde came with him, wrapping his arms around his stomach. Hindered by his parasite of a husband, Sasuke slowly inched his way to the cabinet, reaching for the handle as the blonde's hands spread across his seven and a half month pregnant middle.

"What are you making?" Naruto asked. The Uchiha could feel his husband's lips pressing kisses against his neck. Opening the cabinet, he pulled out a packet of ramen and held it in front of the blonde's face.

"Ramen." Sasuke set the package of dry noodles down and edged his way back to the stove, turning it on to boil the water.

"Isn't that going to make you nauseous?" Naruto asked. It was a legitimate question; it had been the main instigator of Sasuke's morning sickness during his first trimester. The blonde's hands continued to rub the Uchiha's stomach, fingers drumming a random tune.

"I'm craving it. Leave me alone." The dark haired male slapped one of the blonde's hands when it trailed too far south for his liking. Naruto chuckled into Sasuke's neck, kissing up the column of pale skin.

"Alright, okay." Naruto pulled his hands up but was still glued to the Uchiha's backside. "You know Sakura is going to kill me for letting you have my ramen." Sasuke kept his eyes trained on the water in the pot, waiting for it to boil.

"She doesn't have to know." He responded. Setting a hand over one of the tan hands, they twined their fingers together.

"Are you sure she won't be able to tell just by looking?" The blonde asked. Snorting, the Uchiha grabbed the pots handle, moving it just to do something with his other hand.

"Usuratonkachi." Sasuke muttered. The water wasn't boiling yet but the pregnant male was getting impatient. He was hungry.

"Teme." Naruto responded teasingly. "I know Sakura asks you this all the time but how are you feeling?" The blonde asked.

"Tired. Couldn't go back to sleep after the baby woke me." Sasuke answered. Turning his head, the Uchiha pressed his cheek into the soft hair. The blonde tightened his grip on his husband's hand and lifted his head, much to the Uchiha's irritation.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Naruto pulled away just enough to look the Uchiha in eye, looking concerned without pity. "I could have kept you company."

"You needed your sleep. We ran you hard last week." Sasuke explained. The water finally began boil and the pregnant male ripped open the packet of dry noodles, pulling out the seasoning packet before dumping the noodles into the water.

"It was fine, we got a lot done." He muttered. Starting a mental count, the pregnant male started to shuffle away from the stovetop in order to get a bowl. Naruto remained glued to his back, walking with him the entire way.

"Hn." Sasuke hummed. He reached up to open a cabinet, hitting the blonde's chin with his shoulder purposely. The blonde didn't seem to mind at all, shifting to give the dark haired male more room to maneuver.

"When is your appointment with Kusushi and Taji?" Naruto asked. They waddled back to the stovetop and Sasuke realized he could only stand having one human parasite attached to him. Pulling their intertwined hands away from his stomach, the Uchiha tried to push him away with one hand. Naruto seemed to realize what Sasuke was doing and dutifully stepped to the side, giving him room to breath.

"Soon, I'll be back late for testing the seals." Sasuke answered. There was a small amount of relief now that it Naruto had given him space as he leaned over to open a drawer, pulling out a pair of chopsticks.

"I'm sure Kakashi and Yamato won't mind too much. You got a lot done last week." The Uchiha glanced over to his husband. Naruto was grinning happily as he leaned against the counter, watching the dark haired male.

"We've barely started." Sasuke retorted. He looked away and shifted on his feet to try to find a comfortable position to stand. The Uchiha wasn't exaggerating, they'd ruled out over half of the base symbols but that still left about a hundred and fifty base symbols to try with hundreds of other symbols, each.

"It's more than what we would have had done if we had waited a week." Naruto raised his hand to set it under his chin. The three minutes were up and Sasuke turned off the stove, picking up the seasoning packet and opened it.

"You know, I could have gone to Ichiraku's and gotten fresh ramen for the both of us. Teuchi could have given you extra vegetables." Naruto sighed. He watched the Uchiha dump the packet and then stirred the noodles with his chopsticks.

"Would have taken too long." Sasuke explained. Pouring the noodles into the bowl, the Uchiha set the pot back down and picked up his bowl of delicious noodles with him to the table, intent on devouring it.

"Next time then, so Sakura won't have as much of a reason to yell at me." Naruto followed him, pulling out the chair for his husband who gave him a grateful look. Settling down, the pregnant male picked at the noodles for a brief second before attempting to hold as many noodles on his chopsticks as he could.

"It's better than craving ice cream and pickles." He sighed. Blowing on the steaming pasta, Sasuke watched Naruto grin back and heard someone knock on the front door. Before Naruto could get up, because there was no way Sasuke was going to, it opened and someone walked in.

"Hello, boys." Sakura called out. Sasuke paused with the chopsticks just in front of his mouth, his focus on the blonde's bright blue eyes that widened in shock. "I came by to make sure Sasuke remembers his appointment." The pink haired woman was quickly making her way through their home, most likely looking for them, he could hear her checking the hallway that led to their bedroom before moving into the living room. Naruto tried reaching for the bowl of ramen, which Sasuke immediately slapped away with his free hand as Sakura appeared in the doorway. "Are you eating ramen?"

"It's Naruto's." Sasuke muttered. He glanced to her as he stuffed the noodles into his mouth and ignored the way his husband gaped at him. The blonde glanced up to Sakura and then back to his husband and Sasuke looked to the pink haired woman.

"Hey! It is not." Naruto claimed. The Uchiha continued to slurp the noodles into his mouth, watching the two stare each other down. Sakura's stare was becoming more a glare the longer she refused to blink, her eyebrows lowering and scrunching the bridge of her nose as her frown deepened. "He's craving." The blonde explained. He pointed to Sasuke who was now chewing on the noodles and blinked in surprise at how easy his husband had turned on him.

"Traitor." The Uchiha hissed after swallowing.

"You started it." Naruto shot back. He stuck his tongue out at the pregnant male and Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him.

"Do you always act like children or is it really just when I'm around?" Sakura asked. The dark haired male returned his focus to his ramen, lifting another clump of food out of his bowl.

"Just when you're around." Sasuke explained. He leaned forward and blew on the steaming noodles, waiting for it to be cool enough to eat.

"Fantastic, you're just going to start squabbling like kids every time I'm in the same room?" Sakura walked into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she asked the question.

"Probably." Sasuke answered. He leaned forward to slurp the noodles into his mouth, enjoying the way the pink haired woman watched him with a look of slight disgust.

"That's why we want you to be their guardian, in case anything happens to us." Naruto told Sakura with a smile. As her jaw dropped, the irritated expression quickly forming into one of shock, the pregnant male kicked his husband under the table. "Ow! Hey!" The blonde looked accusingly at Sasuke but the pregnant male glared back at him.

"You need to learn how to keep your mouth shut." He growled. Naruto stuck his tongue out at his husband before looking back to Sakura.

"Me? What about Tsunade-sensei?" The pink haired woman asked. She looked between the two men with wide eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Wouldn't be fair for her to take the role of grandmother and guardian." Naruto answered with a grin. Sakura looked back to Sasuke, her jade green eyes still wide in surprise as the pregnant male nodded to her. He wanted to let her know that they weren't even close to joking.

"We were going to tell you together, when the time was right." Sasuke explained. The blonde's grin got wider when their old teammate looked back to him, her mouth dropping open as the certainty of what they were saying sunk in. Stirring the broth in his bowl, the Uchiha collected more noodles with his chopsticks and leaned forward to slurp them into his mouth.

"I just can't believe-have you really thought this through?" Sakura asked. She was looking at them both with concern and Sasuke rolled his eyes at the implication that they hadn't spent time discussing it.

"Of course we have!" Naruto took on an almost affronted expression. Sasuke began to chew, hoping the other two would recognize it as his agreement. "Iruka's going to be the second guardian." The blonde said smugly. The Uchiha swallowed and tapped his utensils against his bowl.

"If he accepts." Sasuke pointed out. Naruto looked to his husband, his grin stubbornly still on his face.

"Of course he's going to accept, why wouldn't he?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and looked back to Sakura who had gone silent as they bantered. The pink haired woman

"Are you okay, Sakura?" The Uchiha called out her name tentatively. She blinked, and then blinked again before she looked around and reached for a chair. Naruto hastily helped her pull out a chair and made sure the pink haired woman sunk into the chair safely.

"Yeah, just give me a minute. This is, it's a lot to take in." Sakura murmured. She was still in shock and Sasuke briefly wondered how she could have missed it, she was their friend, teammate, and had already done so much since finding out about their plans to have a baby. As the Uchiha opened his mouth to say something along that line of thought, there was another knock on the front door before he heard it open.

"Naruto? Sasuke?" Apricot's voice called out in a cautious tone. Sighing loudly, the dark haired male wanted to groan. They were really going to have to start locking the front door.

"What?" The pregnant male called out. He, along with Naruto and Sakura listened for any sound the young girl would make. There was the sound of the front door opening wider but there were no footsteps that indicated she was going to enter the house.

"Kakashi and Yamato are ready and waiting for you guys in the training field. They told me to come and get you." She called out loudly.

"The one time Kakashi decides to be on time." Naruto muttered with a drawn out sigh.

"Go on, get started without me." Sasuke waved his chopsticks at the blonde before sticking them back into the bowl of ramen. The blonde stood up and gave the pink haired woman another glance before leaning down towards his husband.

"Will do, love you." Naruto pressed his lips against Sasuke's head in a quick kiss before straightening and walking out the kitchen door.

"Love you too." The pregnant male called out after him. He picked up the last bit of noodles and slurped them into his mouth before resting his gaze on the medic-nin sitting across the table from him. Sakura was leaning back in her chair, legs crossed as she watched him eat. Her expression was muted; the slight crinkling of her skin around her eyes suggested she was trying to hold back a smile.

"I'll see you after your appointment!" Naruto yelled before he shut the front door with a loud bang. Now, the only sound was coming from him as he finished his noodles.

"You're okay with this, right?" Sasuke asked after swallowing. The pink haired woman finally smiled, uncrossed her legs and arms before leaning over the table.

"I wasn't expecting it, at all." She answered truthfully. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, still wondering how she was surprised. "But I'm honored, that you want me to be a guardian." Sakura explained. The pink haired woman smiled and reached over, laying her hand on top of Sasuke's.

"There's no one else we'd rather have." He answered. Sakura patted her hand on top of Sasuke's before pulling it away and smiled brightly.

"Thank you, it means a lot to me." She shifted in her seat, looking down at her hands for a brief moment and Sasuke stirred his chopsticks in the quickly cooling broth that remained in his bowl.

"Nervous about it?" The pregnant male asked. He watched Sakura shake her head and tap her fingers on the table.

"Well, it gives me plenty of time to practice for when I have my own kid." The pink haired woman shrugged her shoulders with a grin and Sasuke raised his eyebrows at her statement.

"You know Naruto would ask you've if you met someone." Sasuke pointed out. She rolled her eyes, still grinning as the dark haired male moved to stand, picking up his bowl and taking it to the sink.

"Are you sure you're not the one who's curious?" Sakura asked. The Uchiha glanced back as he dumped the broth down the drain, attempting not to smirk.

"Is there someone?" He asked. Looking back to the sink, he started to rinse the bowl and chopsticks and listened to his friend turn around in her chair.

"You sound like my parents." Sakura told him. Her tone had taken on a note irritation but was still smiling when he turned around. "Ready? Let's get to the hospital and get this appointment over with." She took the lead and left the kitchen, letting the pregnant male follow her to the front door.

"Date?" The Uchiha teased. Sakura huffed as she pulled on her red winter jacket and pink scarf. Sasuke grabbed his own winter coat and slipped the dark blue cloth over his shoulders as his old teammate gave him the stink-eye.

"No, I'm meeting up with Ino for lunch to talk about her new flower shop." The pink haired woman explained. Scoffing, he slipped on his shoes and buttoned up his coat as Sakura did the same. "You've been spending too much time with your husband." Sakura had started messing with her scarf when Sasuke opened the front door, immediately regretting it when a blast of cold air hit him in the face.

"That's what happens when two people go on maternity leave, we spend all of our time together." He explained. The dark haired male is relieved to find that his gloves are in his pockets when he stuffs his hands into them. Sakura is too focused on getting her scarf straight and not walking into the door to respond right away. Once she's out of the house, Sasuke shuts the door before quickly shoves his hands into his gloves.

"And you're not sick of him yet?" She asks once she's got her scarf on the way she wanted it. The Uchiha shook his head as they stepped off the front porch and Sakura slipped her hands into her pockets.

"It's nice." He explains vaguely. Sakura burrows her face into her scarf when Sasuke glanced to her. "The last time we spent this much time together, we were genin doing missions together."

"And you were in isolation or on house arrest while Naruto was on duty or doing missions." Sakura voiced her thoughts as they made their way down the street. "He was still doing away missions when he got custody of you, Kakashi complained for months because he didn't want to babysit you all the time." The Uchiha exhaled loudly through his nose, the breath misting from his nostrils.

"He made sure I was aware of the fact, often." Sasuke muttered. Sakura laughed and the dark haired male watched as the hot air visibly rose around her face whenever she exhaled.

"That I do not doubt." She grinned before reaching up to readjust her scarf over her mouth. Barely three seconds had passed before she was stuffing her bare hand back into her pocket.

"Why didn't you buy yourself gloves when you bought mine?" He questioned. Sakura shrugged her shoulders as they turned onto the main street that would lead them to the gate.

"They didn't have any pink ones." Sakura's cheeks grew full, a sure sign that she was smiling. The Uchiha grinned back at her and held up one of his gloved hands, wiggling his fingers back and forth.

"Thank goodness there weren't two pairs of pink gloves." He grinned. Dropping his hand as Sakura burst out into laughter, Sasuke chuckled and set his hand on top of his protruding abdomen. The baby gave a small kick and he stopped walking, it always felt weird when he tried walking and the baby moved. His old teammate stopped when she realized the pregnant male wasn't walking next to her and tried to stifle her laughter.

"Hm, pink doesn't suit you." The pink haired woman replied once she could breathe again. Sasuke rolled his eyes and moved his hand to where he felt the baby kick. "Baby moved?" She asked. He nodded as the feeling lessened before stopping completely and he started walking again, Sakura immediately keeping pace with him.

"I feel like I'm going to fall over if I try walking." The Uchiha answered. Sakura made a humming noise but Sasuke could still see the exaggerated fullness of her cheeks, which meant she was still smiling.

* * *

Nothing had changed in the office Sakura had led him to, though he could have found his way to the room blindfolded if he wanted to. "Are you having increased irritability, agitation, or inexplicable sadness?" Kusushi asked. Sasuke glanced over to the mousy, brown haired male who was pushing his glasses up with his pointer finger. He knew it was a standard question to ask; Sakura had asked the same thing last week but in a less worded, more socially accepted kind of way. It went along the lines of 'Feeling unusually angry or sad recently?'. He wanted to roll his eyes at the technician but refrained, knowing he was in the middle of an irritation induced mood swing.

"No more so than usual." The Uchiha replied. Shifting in his chair, the pregnant male bit the inside of his cheek to keep his mouth shut before he made a scathing remark. Kusushi gave Sasuke a look of curiosity and the dark haired male was going regret his previous response before the technician got a word out.

"How would you define your usual irritableness, agitation or sadness?" The man questioned. Sasuke was rolling his eyes before he even could think about not doing it. Looking to the two women sitting on the other side of his chair, he watched both Sakura and Taji give him small nods.

"I'm a male who's seven and a half months pregnant, I'm constantly tired, ache all over, and with the baby constantly moving I haven't been getting a full night's sleep." Sasuke found himself explaining. Even he knew he sounded irritated and snappish. "Sorry." The pregnant male stated without looking up from his round stomach.

"Any worries about your impending parenthood?" Taji asked the next question. Kusushi had sat back, fiddling with the ultrasound machine nervously and Sasuke might have felt just a little guilty for snapping at the man. Sakura would berate him later; the man was just trying to do his job.

"No more so than any other soon-to-be-parent. We're reading books, going to classes." The Uchiha attempted to sound calm and collected. He focused his attention on Sakura who gave him a nod at his attempt at peace.

"That's good." Taji murmured. The need to roll his eyes was still simmering under the surface of his emotions but Sasuke forced his eyes to remain on the wall just above Sakura's head.

"I couldn't sleep last night because the baby was moving." Sasuke explained. He looked to the sonographer, trying to gauge his reaction but it seemed that the man was harder to read when one could only see half of his face. Giving up, the Uchiha looked back to his stomach and gave it a glower.

"Start taking naps then." Sakura spoke up. "You don't need medication for sleep." The Uchiha turned his glower to the pink haired woman who just shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Can we get on with the ultrasound?" He grumbled.

"Of course." Kusushi answered. The brown haired man's fiddling with the ultrasound machine took on a deliberateness and Sasuke shifted on the awkwardly reclined seat, pulling up his shirt over his round belly.

"Do you not like naps?" Taji asked. The sonographer picked up the wand of the machine and was holding a bottle of gel. Kusushi held the bottle over Sasuke's offered stomach, squirting an ample amount of gel across the width of his belly.

"Why waste a perfectly good afternoon sleeping?" He replied. The only other man in the room placed the ultrasound wand on his stomach and smeared the gel as he looked to the screen.

"Because you weren't able to sleep during a perfectly good night." The older woman teased. The pregnant male bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from snorting. Kusushi wasn't that much older than Sasuke, which made it harder to be respectful to the man. "Have you been feeling any Braxton Hicks contractions?" Taji's question caught Sasuke off guard; he'd read about them but never thought that he'd ever feel them.

"No, can I even have them?" The Uchiha felt Kusushi move the wand across his pregnant belly slowly, taking his time with looking at the fetus. In his peripheral vision, Sasuke could see Sakura's head turned towards the obstetrician. She probably was in the same position as he did, not knowing if he could or even would experience the 'false labor'.

"It's entirely possible, prodromal labor is the tightening of uterus muscles and your chakra womb is meant to mimic a women's uterus." Taji explained. Sasuke frowned as he took a deep breath, trying not to get anxious at the thought of what it would feel like.

"How will I know the difference between Braxton Hicks contractions and actual labor?" He asked. The idea that he would go into labor and would mistake the contractions as Braxton Hicks scared him, a lot could go wrong if he didn't get to the hospital in time.

"Braxton Hicks contractions will only feel like mild cramps." Taji gave the Uchiha a reassuring smile before her expression turned serious. "But if you do start to go into labor early, you'll most likely have serious pain with your contractions. The baby will try to drop past your pubis bone looking for an exit and stretch the muscles and ligaments there."

"An exit that I don't have." The Uchiha sighed. Kusushi removed the wand from Sasuke's stomach but the dark haired male didn't want to divide his attention just yet. It was obvious that the farther down the baby pushed, the more invasive the surgery would be to get him or her out.

"Yes, we would need to get you to the hospital and preform an emergency cesarean." Taji responded. Sasuke nodded in understanding and contemplated the information carefully, wondering how he would explain it to Naruto.

"The chakra uterus will remain intact as long as the placenta is still attached, how will that affect me if I go into early labor?" Sasuke asked. The obstetrician's expression soured, the wrinkles of old age growing more pronounced as she no doubt prepared to give Sasuke bad news.

"It should move with the baby but the amniotic sack won't rupture until we cut into the chakra uterus. You will be," She paused, her gaze dropping to the Uchiha's pregnant stomach before she could look him in the eye again. "In an extreme amount of pain until you get an epidural or put under anesthesia." Sasuke nodded in understanding, trying to imagine the kind of pain he would feel.

"Understood." The pregnant male nodded. His contemplative mood must have been evident because Sakura shifted closer, giving him an almost pitiful look.

"I'll be taking time off from maternity ward duty once you start your thirty-fifth week just in case anything happens." Sakura reassured. She leaned forward, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezed as she looked to Kusushi. "How did the baby look?" Sasuke gratefully turned his head to the sonographer.

"Very healthy, would you like to see?" Kusushi held up the ultrasound wand as he directed the question to the pregnant male. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders.

"I'd like another picture." He murmured. Kusushi nodded and reached around the ultrasound machine, straightening back up with a picture of the ultrasound in hand.

"Thought you might." The brown haired male responded. Sasuke took the picture from him and looked at it. Sakura handed him a paper towel and he used it to wipe off the excess gel from his stomach. Focusing on the picture, the pregnant male could easily see the baby's head, the nose and mouth easily defined in gray and black.

"Thank you." The Uchiha said quietly. He glanced up to see Kusushi smiling back at him as he cleaned the ultrasound wand with a wipe.

"I think we're good then. We'll see you back here in two weeks." Taji told the dark haired male as she stood up.

"Thank you, for the information." Sasuke bowed his head to the older woman. The obstetricians smiled back kindly as she set a hand down on his shoulder. She squeezed briefly before letting go, a classic technique for comforting someone and Sasuke let her do it. He crumpled the paper towels in one hand as he used the other to pull down his shirt.

"Don't forget to share it with Naruto." The obstetrician told him. He heard the tone of command in her voice as she opened the door.

"He'll be thrilled." Sasuke held up the ultrasound picture with a small, lopsided grin. Taji stepped out of the room as Sasuke moved to stand up and Sakura handed him his coat.

"See you in two weeks, Kusushi." Sakura told the brown haired male. He nodded as the pink haired woman shrugged on her coat, her scarf in hand and Sasuke unfolded his own coat. The woman opened the door, holding it open for Sasuke to follow her out and leaving the sonographer in the room. "What do you have planned for the rest of the day? And don't say you're going to work on the seals with everybody, you need a break."

"I'll be talking a couple clones with me to double check all the apartments and houses we leased." Sasuke muttered as they walked down the hallway. He looked directly ahead and pulled on his coat. Sasuke ignored the nurses who were walking in the opposite direction; their gazes focused on his stomach before he could finish buttoning up and hide it with the maternity jacket.

"Good, and remember to stay off your feet, you're only going to get bigger in the coming weeks." Sakura warned him. The Uchiha rolled his eyes at the statement, of course he was going to get bigger, all he had been doing over the past seven and a half months was getting bigger. They made it to the front doors of the hospital and stepped outside, a blast of cold air hitting them as they left behind the heated building.

"I'll be sure to sit down when I start working on the seals." The dark haired male told his childhood friend. Lifting up the collar of his coat, Sasuke smirked as Sakura glared at him. She wrapped her scarf around her neck and covered the lower half of her face with it before giving him a soft punch in the shoulder.

"I'm serious, Sasuke. Take it easy." Sakura told him. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, the pregnant male gave his old teammate a nod as they moved away from the hospital.

"I will." The Uchiha told her. The pink haired woman nodded, happy with his answer.

* * *

"I'm going to borrow some of my husband's clones." Sasuke called out when he stepped into the training field. His breath came out in visible puffs in front of his face as he mentally tallied the amount of clones still in the field. There were barely fifty clones left, a lot had gotten done while he was at his doctor's appointment. Kyoko was sitting on the ground between Kakashi and Yamato, burnt grass and scorched earth surrounding where the redhead sat. The two older men had several containers of ink in varying states of emptiness, scrolls lying open around and a clone sitting in front of them. All of the clones turned their heads at the sound of Sasuke's voice, a smile forming on every clones' face that the pregnant male could see.

"I love it when you call me that." Naruto's voice called out. It came from the mass of clones huddled together in attempt to keep warm and Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wondering where the real blonde was.

"He says that every time." Apricot muttered in Yamato's direction. The Uchiha gave her a look as he came closer to the group, wishing they had set up closer to the wall so he could lean against it and take a quick nap.

"Doesn't mean it's not true." The clone sitting in front of Kakashi replied. He was sitting cross legged and using his crossed arms to hold up his shirt just enough for the white haired male to draw on his stomach. Sasuke stopped in front of the girl and eyed the group of huddled clones. Only one of the clones was wearing a coat and was on the outskirts of the group.

"Come on, Dobe." The Uchiha lifted his hand and motioned for his husband to come closer. Almost immediately, the Naruto in the coat pulled away from the group and slowly jogged over to the pregnant male.

"Hey, I think it's going to start snowing soon." He murmured. The blonde leaned in for a kiss, wrapping an arm around the Uchiha's waist and pulling him close. He let himself be kissed; the pregnant male felt his baby bump press against the blonde through their coats and gave his husband a look of scrutiny.

"It won't snow inside the compound until the barrier is down." Sasuke pointed out. He watched as a clone reached out and grabbed Kyoko's hand, the clone was still for a second before it jerked as Kyuubi's chakra enveloped him. Kakashi was quick with the kunai, stabbing it in the knee before it disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sasuke could feel the blonde wince as the memory of the stab came and saw the quickly recovered grin appear.

"Which is going to happen in less than a month." Naruto replied cheerily. Sasuke sighed as he watched another clone sit down in front of Kakashi and the clone in front of Yamato leaned towards Apricot.

"That soon?" The brown haired man asked. Naruto grinned and tried to pull his husband a little closer to him. Growing irritated with the random surge of clinginess, the pregnant male set his arm over broad shoulders and reached up to tug on blonde hair.

"Not if we don't make sure all these houses and apartments are ready for people to move into." Sasuke set his other hand on top of Naruto's as he tried to pull him towards the street. The blonde seemed to take the movement as something else entirely as he refused to be moved and gave his full attention to the Uchiha.

"Are you cold?" Naruto questioned. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the question and then looked down at where the blonde was holding their bodies together.

"Are you?" He shot back. The blonde shrugged his shoulders with a grin, reaching up to fiddle with the collar of Sasuke's coat. Kakashi was the one to interrupt, scoffing loudly. The white haired man didn't bother looking up, focused on a clone's stomach as he drew a design with black ink.

"He'll use any excuse to get close to you, you know that." He explained. Sasuke sighed as he felt his husband's cold fingers tapped against the back of his neck. The pregnant male watched as the clone in front of Yamato turned around and latched a hand onto Kyoko's shoulder before disappearing immediately.

"Sasuke, you should stay here and rest, I can have my clones go check out the homes." Naruto murmured. The pregnant male frowned and reached up to swat Naruto's hand away.

"How do I know you'll make sure everything is ready?" He asked.

"You can trust me." The blonde pressed his forehead to Sasuke's, grinning as he stared into the dark haired male's eyes. "Besides, you checked them ages ago. All they'll need to do is double check none of the pipes have frozen." Raising an eyebrow, the Uchiha stared right back for a second before leaning in and gave his husband a quick kiss.

"Fine, but at least five clones should go." The Uchiha relented. Naruto's grin widened and he wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulders. Turning his attention to the group of his clones, the blonde pulled his husband closer to the group.

"Hey, who wants to go check out houses!" He yelled. The original blonde sat down, letting go of Sasuke so the dark haired male could maneuver himself to the ground.

"That's not fair! We've been freezing here this whole time!" One of Naruto's clones cried out. Sasuke used his husband's shoulder to get on his knees as the original blonde watched his clones revolt.

"Yeah, you can't make us go running around without shirts on!" Another clone added. Sasuke grunted as he sat, feeling the cold ground through the cloth of his pants. He watched as his husband opened his mouth to retort but stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Just make new ones with your coat on." The Uchiha muttered. Naruto looked over to him and sighed before raising his hands into the hand signs.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" The original Naruto called out. Half a dozen clones popped up around them and five of them immediately jogged off and out of the field. The sixth clone sat down on the other side of Sasuke and leaned against him, nuzzling his face into the Uchiha's shoulder.

The dark haired male raised his hand to set his hand on the clone's head, running his fingers through the cold blonde hair. The other blonde leaned onto his free shoulder, an arm wrapping around his pregnant stomach. Stuck between the two blondes, Sasuke looked between them and then up at Kakashi and Yamato. "What's the sixth clone for?" He asked.

"For you to lean against." The Naruto on his right side mumbled. There was some fumbling as the original Naruto hit the clone a few times. The clone grumbled into Sasuke's shoulder before he finally moved, scooting until he was back to back with him. Naruto set his hand back over Sasuke's stomach and burrowed his face into the dark haired male's neck.

"You two are so cute." Kakashi called out. With a sharp glance, Sasuke raised his middle finger at him.

"Shut up." Sasuke snapped at the white haired male. Kakashi waved his own paintbrush back at the Uchiha before returning to painting on a clone's stomach. Leaning back, the clone moved with him, just enough to let Sasuke recline comfortably. They all sat in relative silence; Kakashi and Yamato drawing and Apricot sitting between them, practicing the hand signs for the fireball technique that Sasuke had taught her. Every few minutes, a clone would reach for the red headed girl and would either pop out of existence by itself or would start to burn red with Kyuubi's chakra.

"How have you been keeping the ink from freezing?" Sasuke asked after a few minutes of relative silence. Apricot's head jerked upwards at the sound of his voice and her hands faltered in making the correct sign.

"I've been practicing the fireball technique, keeps them heated for an hour or so." The redheaded girl fidgeted in her spot as another clone shifted close enough to touch her knee. It stayed still for a few seconds before being engulfed in Kyuubi's chakra. Yamato was kick to take a kunai to the clones' thigh.

"They're boiling hot right after she does it, gives us a five minute break at least." Yamato explained once the clone's smoke cloud dissipated.

"She could use a little practice aiming too." Kakashi added. Apricot stuck her tongue out at the white haired male and went back to making the hand signals.

"I've gotten better." The young girl muttered. There was a small vibration coming from the blonde parasite attached to his side and Sasuke looked down to see Naruto attempting to hide a smile.

"After nearly burning my eyebrows off." The brunet male muttered. That had Sasuke's husband quietly giggling into the pregnant male's neck. Apricot blew a raspberry at Yamato in retaliation. Nudging the blonde with his elbow, Naruto managed to settle down and the group slipped into another period of quiet. Sasuke watched as clone after clone went through the process of touching Apricot and either disappearing by themselves or by weapon when Kyuubi's chakra engulfed them.

Some of them barely lasted a second while others patiently waited for two or three before being engulfed by chakra. Sasuke relaxed, leaning back and counting the seconds for each one. He watched as another clone reached out to touch Apricot, setting his hand on her elbow as she continued to practice the hand signs. One second, then another, and another passed and as Sasuke continued to count, he leaned forward and started to grin. As Sasuke mentally tallied the sixth second, the clone's facial expression changed and he could see the Kyuubi's chakra start to engulf the clone. Kakashi was the one to strike the clone with a well-placed shuriken to the shoulder.

"Did you see that?" Apricot cried out. She turned around, looking between all four men in excitement. Sasuke could feel the blonde lift his head to watch the young redhead bounce in excitement.

"How long did that clone last for?" Naruto asked. Sasuke watched as everyone eyes landed on him, as if they knew he had been counting.

"Nearly seven seconds." Sasuke answered. He didn't think Kyoko could get any happier but her expression took on an almost manic look as she whipped her head to Yamato and then Kakashi.

"That's the longest one yet!" Kyoko called out. She leaned forward onto her hands before shuffling onto her knees and then her feet. "Seven seconds!" The redhead cried out excitedly.

"Who knew someone could get so excited about seven seconds?" Kakashi muttered. He pointedly looked to Yamato, the brown haired male grinned back, holding back his laughter. Naruto didn't have the older man's restraint, the blonde snorted before burying his face back into Sasuke's neck. The clone behind Sasuke couldn't even do that and laughed out loud, causing Apricot to look back to the Uchiha.

"What? Why wouldn't I be excited about it lasting seven seconds?" The redhead asked. She looked at him and Naruto, confused by their reaction. She just didn't seem to get the innuendo that Kakashi was insinuating.

"She's obviously never seen anything better than seven seconds." One of Naruto's clones in the group responded with another giggle. Sasuke rolled his eyes and tried to jab the clone in the side with his elbow only to have his husband grab his wrist, stopping him.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." Sasuke shoved the original blonde away. Almost immediately he missed the warmth as Naruto fell onto his side and Apricot turned to look at Yamato.

"I'm missing something, aren't I?" She asked. That only made Naruto and his clones burst into laughter and giggles. Yamato tried explaining but gave up when he couldn't stop smiling. Apricot sat back down, face red and looking disgruntled, knowing she was missing out on the joke. Sasuke sighed as his husband reattached himself to the Uchiha's side and he watched the redheaded girl shrug off the laughter. It was good to know that she had thick enough skin to know they were laughing at a joke rather than at her.


	37. Braxton Hicks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up-so team Hebi was changed to team Taka when Sasuke found out the truth about Itachi but Sasuke never saw team Hebi again in this story. (Because Naruto got there first [chapter 25: Bad Dream and Evil Scheme] if anyone needs a quick refresher glance at the miniscule amount of information. It's in the first dream sequence) Ergo they are still team Hebi.
> 
> Thanks to omgitsdanimals (FFN) for mentioning Braxton hicks contractions which is obviously this chapter's title. I also kept my promise! Updated on the 16th of April! Haven't gotten much done with the newest chapter draft but we'll see how it goes.

  **December 10** **th** **, the thirty-first week,**

"What are you all still doing here? It's nearly sundown." Sakura called out. Sasuke looked up from the scroll he'd been looking over and took note of the sun's location. She was right, it was getting dark and the fire Apricot had made was starting to cast shadows.

"Got caught up working on seals." One of the half a dozen clones left called out. "We're almost done." Kakashi snorted and Sasuke closed the scroll. He set it aside and shifted; preparing to use the wall he had been leaning against to stand up. One of the clones quickly moved towards him and leaned down to help.

"We, meaning Kakashi and I." Yamato muttered. Another clone stuck its tongue out as Sasuke took the blonde's help and stood up. Dusting himself off, the pregnant male made his way over to Sakura as another clone burst into a cloud of smoke.

"Why don't we just quit now?" Kakashi asked. Another clone moved to sit in front of the white haired male and the older male brandished his shuriken at him. Sakura nodded at the suggestion as she made her way over to where Sasuke was standing.

"Because we're almost done." Apricot replied. Sasuke watched as Kakashi pursed his lips and Yamato leaned over to glare at the redhead.

"You mean he and I are almost done." Yamato shot back. "All you've done is sit there making fire whenever the ink freezes." Sasuke raised an eyebrow as the young girl's face burned red.

"Hey, don't be mean." The pink haired woman called out. "She's been sitting out here with you guys for weeks now with almost nothing to do." Kyoko hesitantly smiled in their direction and Yamato rolled his eyes.

"When did you switch sides?" Naruto's clone asked. Sasuke watched his pink haired friend shrug her shoulders as Yamato and Kakashi went back to working on seals.

"Us girls have to stick together." Sakura replied. She winked at Apricot who smiled back happily. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Sasuke watched as the clone in front of Yamato scooted closer to Kyoko to grab her hand.

"What are you going to do when you find the best combination? What happens after that?" Their old teammate asked. Sasuke watched as everyone turned to him, waiting for him to answer Sakura's question.

"We siphon Kyuubi's chakra out of you and through Naruto's seal." Sasuke explained. "Then we secure it with the best combination we can find." The Uchiha gestured to their setup. He watched as Apricot mulled over the explanation with a slow nod and Naruto's clones looked to each other as if confirming it between themselves.

"And hope it holds." Kakashi added. The redheaded girl's eyes widened and she swallowed loudly. Sasuke glanced to the clone next to him and watched him nervously shift his weight from one foot to another. The clone holding Apricot's hand suddenly disappeared in a cloud of smoke and left an ominous feeling in the group.

"It'll hold." Sasuke replied. The group of clones didn't look entirely convinced but they smiled when they noticed their husband was looking at them. Kakashi tilted his head but didn't look away from the clone's stomach he was drawing on. A few seconds later, the white haired male set down his brush and let the clone move away from him.

"Hey, don't smudge the symbol." Kakashi muttered when the clone hunched over. Naruto's clone straightened and took hold of the redhead's shoulder. Sasuke shifted his weight, feeling something beginning to press down against his bladder. He was going to have to relieve himself soon.

"You won't know until we start testing them on the real Naruto." Yamato pointed out.

"I'll make sure it'll hold." The Uchiha shot back. He glared at the brown haired male but the older man was busy focused on a clone's stomach.

"Well, you won't be making sure of anything by yourself or up close." Sakura spoke up. Sasuke turned his glare to her and watched her smile back at him. "You know you can't be anywhere near them when they try out the final combinations." Opening his mouth to retort, Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and paused when the clone touching Apricot disappeared in a cloud smoke and a popping sound.

"How long did that one last?" The Uchiha asked.

"Almost a minute, the one before that lasted nearly a minute and a half." Kyoko answered. "I think the best one so far was a little over three minutes."

"That's a big jump from the seven seconds last week." Sakura tried to keep from smiling but Sasuke could see her grin. Apricot rolled her eyes but only shifted where she sat instead of responding. "Where's Naruto?" She asked.

"He went to get dinner." The redheaded girl answered as Sasuke cleared his throat. Sakura raised an eyebrow and turned her attention to Sasuke who raised a hand to cover his mouth and pretended to actually cough. Said Uchiha focused his renewed glare at the younger girl who had the decency to look apologetic.

"Ramen?" The pink haired woman asked. She looked between Apricot and Sasuke pointedly; trying to see who would cave first in telling her that the blonde was getting Sasuke food she had specifically told them not to eat.

"No?" Kyoko spoke up cautiously. She looked to Sasuke and bit her lower lip nervously, hoping that she was giving Sakura the right answer. The Uchiha glanced to Sakura who looked entirely unconvinced and noticeably irritated.

"My ink is freezing up again, Apricot." Yamato called out. Apricot jerked her head in his direction and sighed in relief at having something else to focus on. The redheaded girl shifted to face Yamato and raised her hands in a way the looked to be muscle memory.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no jutsu!" Apricot muttered as she moved her hands. When she raised her hand in front of her lips, she set her aim towards the ground and blew through the circle she made with her finger and thumb. Fire came out in a small, controlled stream right in front of the container of ink next to Yamato.

"Thanks." The brown haired male gave the young girl a smile and dipped his brush into the inkpot again. When Sasuke glanced to Sakura again, the pink haired woman was watching with raised eyebrows in slight amazement.

"You're really getting good at that, Apricot." Sakura told the young girl. "It's not even boiling." Apricot smiled at the compliment and turned around to face Kakashi who pushed his ink container well away from him and gestured to it with the brush's tip.

"Oi! I'm back! And I brought-oh, Sakura, you're here." Naruto's voice called out. Sasuke nearly jumped in surprise as he turned around to see the blonde stopping short at the sight of his pink haired friend. In both his hands were heavy looking food bags from Ichiraku's ramen shop.

"Yeah, I am." Sakura told the blonde. She set her hands on her hips and gave Naruto a knowing grin. "I see you got ramen, did you get enough for everybody?"

"Um, well." Naruto began to stutter. The blonde took a step back, his bright blue eyes looking to Sasuke and then back to Sakura. Sasuke could almost see the nervous sweat forming across Naruto's brow.

"I had a craving." Sasuke spoke up. He watched Naruto's big blue eyes dart back to him before he turned his head to meet Sakura's gaze. Sakura began to frown, her head tilting as she scrutinized the pregnant male.

"But I suggested it!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke glanced back at his husband to see him now walking forward determinedly. Sakura seemed to be too busy looking between the two men, her expression lost somewhere between bewildered and as if they both had grown a second head.

"Who cares? I'm starving." Yamato called out. He waved his free hand at one of the few clones that were left waiting and one of them stepped forward. The clone ran around Sakura and Sasuke to the original Naruto, taking one of the bags of ramen before carefully carrying it back to Yamato. Sakura smiled and watched as Naruto set down the second bag of ramen and reached for the Uchiha's hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Huh, one day you're throwing each other under the bus and the next you're covering for each other." The pink haired woman pointed out. Sasuke frowned as he remembered the last time Sakura had caught him eating ramen. His cheeks were beginning to feel hot as the pregnant male looked to the bag of ramen by Naruto's feet instead of the pink haired woman.

"Marriage makes people crazy." Apricot said offhandedly. Naruto almost immediately dropped the Uchiha's hand to stalk over to the redheaded girl to talk to her. Sasuke tried reaching down for the ramen but of course, his pregnant belly made it practically impossible. He widened his stance to attempt to get lower to the ground and just as he was about to grab the plastic handle Sakura swiped it away from him.

"Does not!" Naruto shot back. Sasuke glared at the bag of ramen and then at Sakura as he struggled to straighten again. The pink haired woman was grinning devilishly as she held out the heavy looking bag for him to take.

"Teuchi told me that Naruto asks for extra vegetables, so as long as it isn't instant." The pink haired woman explained. Sasuke grabbed the bag and scoffed but knew that his cheeks were probably bright red.

"Not if they were crazy to begin with." Kakashi said nonchalantly. Naruto made a noise of indignation and Sasuke watched as the white haired male opened his container of ramen, the steam rising in front of his masked face. Yamato and Apricot were doing the same exact thing as the blonde began to splutter out a rebuttal.

"Come on, Dobe. Let's eat." Sasuke interrupted his husband's attempt at bickering. The blonde lifted his head and nodded with a smile before shooting a glare at Kakashi before walking away. Sasuke watched his husband jog quickly up to him, taking the container of ramen bowls from the Uchiha with a bright smile.

"How come they get to leave?" Apricot asked. Sasuke glanced back as he and Naruto started to walk away, the girl was watching them with a look of longing. His husband seemed to realize he was looking back and did the same, grinning. Their eyes met and the pregnant male raised an eyebrow as Naruto leaned in and kissed him.

"You can leave," Kakashi told the redhead. The blonde grinned and glanced back to the two men and the two women behind them.

"If you're pregnant like Sasuke is." Yamato finished. Sasuke snorted as he heard Sakura begin to laugh and Apricot made a disgruntled noise. He and Naruto walked out of the training field, the blonde wrapped an arm around the Uchiha's waist and pulled him closer.

* * *

 **December 11** **th** **, still the thirty-first week,**

"Welcome back!" Kohada, the bright-eyed woman leaned into Naruto's personal space as he walked into the classroom where Baby Basics was held.

"Congratulations?" Another woman called out. Sasuke peered over his husband's shoulder as several more women began to crowd around the doorway. Standing halfway in the hallway and halfway in the room, Sasuke shifted awkwardly as Naruto failed to move further into the room.

"Sasuke, Naruto, how was your honeymoon?" One of the women asked. They watched as the blonde turned his head, giving Sasuke a nervous glance

"Thank you, it was relaxing." Naruto told the women crowding him. The blonde remained in front of Sasuke, acting as a shield. "Can we get in? It's a little hot in here with our coats on." He politely requested. The women took the hint and stepped back, allowing the two men to enter the room.

"It's good to have you two back." Biwako-sensei stood behind the crowd of women but gave them enough space to pass by. Naruto and Sasuke both nodded their heads to her in a shallow bow.

"It's good to be back." Naruto answered with a grin. The blonde moved to an empty desk and Sasuke followed. Taking off his coat, the Uchiha watched as Naruto pulled out a chair for him and several women were moving closer to hover.

"Thanks." Sasuke told his husband as he tossed his coat of the back of his chair and sat down. Naruto smiled and sat down as four of the women who crowded them at the door sat down at the tables next to the two men.

"What did you two end up doing?" Kohada asked. She looked between Naruto and Sasuke, her eyes bright at any hint of detail. The Uchiha glanced to his husband and nodded for him to respond.

"Spent most of it at home, getting things ready for the baby." Naruto explained. Sasuke shifted, feeling the baby begin to move and motioned for Naruto to hold his hand out. Pulling his husband's hand to his stomach, the Uchiha told himself not to blush as the women around them watched with excitement.

"It's not like they could go many places, not in Sasuke's condition." One of the women murmured softly. Sasuke felt his face heat up as Naruto's hand followed the baby's movement. When he glanced over, the blonde was solely focused on the baby bump. Watching how entranced his husband got when he felt the baby move, it never seemed to get old.

"Have you painted the baby's room yet, what color have you picked out?" Sasuke looked up as Kohada leaned forward. She looked intently to Sasuke as a strand of hair fell into her face and didn't even attempt to look away as she brushed it behind an ear.

"We decided to wait until after the baby is born." Sasuke answered. He could feel the baby's movements slow as the women around him stilled. Kohada's pale blue eyes widened and the Uchiha started to frown at their reaction.

"What?" Naruto asked. The blonde was looking up now, getting more nervous as the seconds passed by.

"That won't work." One of the older women spoke up.

"Why?" Sasuke questioned.

"You're going to have your hands full taking care of a baby. It's better to have it done already." Kohada answered. The three other women nodded their heads. Sasuke tilted his head to meet his husband's gaze, Naruto looked concerned.

"She would know, did the same thing you're thinking of doing." Biwako told them as she walked by. Sasuke nearly jerked his head towards the teacher. "Poor thing didn't have the baby's room done for months." She set a hand on Kohada's shoulder, the woman looked appropriately embarrassed and smiled sheepishly.

"We were thinking of using a gender neutral color." Naruto spoke up. At that, the women perked up, their smiles returned full force.

"Now, that's smart. We thought we were getting a girl, painted the whole room pink and had twin boys instead." One of the older women sighed. Biwako and the other women smiled knowingly.

"What do you all think we should paint the baby's room?" The blonde asked. Sasuke nearly groaned as Kohada's smile grew even wider and the women looked practically elated.

"Green is always a good neutral color." The older woman mentioned.

"I've always preferred the more vibrant colors, perhaps a bright red?" A younger woman spoke up. Sasuke looked around, from woman to woman feeling flustered as they all tried to speak their thoughts.

"Grey is the new black for gender neutral color schemes I'm afraid." Kohada shook her head as if she disagreed with what she was saying. Sasuke felt a hand brush up against his, knowing it was his husband's. When he glanced over, Naruto was leaning in.

"We'll have to ask Iruka and everyone else too, before we decide on a color." Naruto whispered. Sasuke sighed and nodded as someone leaned over the desk they were sitting at.

"Not just a color, a color  _scheme_." Kohada emphasized. The Uchiha leaned back, wondering how someone could be so intense about the colors of a room.

"Alright ladies, and gentlemen. Let's get class started." Biwako called out. "Kohada, please take a seat." The teacher said pointedly. Almost immediately, the women started to shuffle into seats, Kohada sitting back down and scooting her chair to the nearest desk. Once everyone was settled, Biwako started to walk around the front of the room.

"Today, we're going to discuss toys. What should one look for in a child's toy and what dangers should you be aware of?" The teacher picked up a pile of papers, handing it to someone sitting in the front. "Could you pass these out please?" When Biwako looked up, her expression changed drastically, from a relaxed focus to concern, as she seemed to look directly at Naruto.

Looking to the blonde, Sasuke tensed at the sight of Naruto's eyes bleeding red. Reaching out, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's elbow and stood up. He could hear Biwako continuing with her start of discussion as he dragged the blonde towards the door and out of the room.

"Sasuke, is everything alright?" Naruto asked. Sasuke glanced down both ends of the hallway, taking note of how many people there were and which of them were watching.

"Your eyes are red." He answered. Naruto blinked and tilted his head in confusion. Sasuke motioned to his own eyes and watched the blonde lift his own hand to his face. Those red eyes widened when the blonde realized what Sasuke had said.

"Apricot's here." Naruto murmured. "Why would she be out of the compound?" Sasuke shook his head and looked down the hallway again, stopping when he saw Apricot and Kakashi walking towards them.

"She asked to come, it's been a while since she's been outside." The older, white haired man answered Naruto's question when he came closer.

"Sorry, I was getting a little stir crazy." Apricot spoke up sheepishly. "You forgot to send clones to the training field." Sasuke glanced to Naruto whose mouth dropped open in realization and then started chuckling with a wide grin.

"Oh, my bad. I knew I was forgetting something." The blonde explained. Kakashi rolled his visible eye as Naruto held his hands out in front of him. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" In half a second, the entire hallway was filled with blonde clones, tightly packed together.

"Well, we got what we came for. Let's go." The white haired male muttered. He turned to Apricot and motioned for the clones to start walking. "Don't touch any of them, it'd be a waste if I had to expel one of them before we get back to the compound." Apricot nodded her head and remained still, letting the clones walk around her. Kakashi nodded to the real Naruto and Sasuke before following the hoard of clones down the hall.

"Bye, have fun in class." The redhead waved to Naruto and Sasuke as she followed the white haired jonin. Sasuke nodded his head to her as his husband waved back, still smiling.

"Well, glad that's out of the way." Naruto said. Sasuke looked to him to see those red eyes staring right at him. "Is it creepy? Seeing my eyes red here?"

"Unnerving." Sasuke answered. The Uchiha reached his hand out to Naruto's cheek before leaning in for a kiss. "Kind of hot." He whispered. Seeing his husband shiver, Sasuke smirked and tilted his head for another kiss.

"We should get back to class." Naruto murmured. "Biwako-sensei is probably having a hard time keeping everyone on track." Sasuke inhaled deeply as he opened the door to the room and stepped inside. One of the first things the Uchiha saw when he walked back into the room was the mountain of bags and wrapped boxes on their table.

"What's all this?" Naruto asked. All the women in the room looked to them, most of the already smiling. They both paused in front of the presents, not sure if they should sit down in front of it.

"It's our present to you, a sort of baby shower." Biwako-sensei answered. She motioned to the women with a smile. "We thought it was appropriate since today's class is about age appropriate toys."

"A baby shower?" Sasuke questioned in confusion. He raised an eyebrow at Naruto who shrugged his shoulders in response. At least his husband was in the dark as much as he was.

"Of course, every expecting couple needs a baby shower." Kohada spoke up. A few of the women laughed and Naruto raised a hand to scratch his nose, a little embarrassed. Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek as he felt his ears start burning.

"Thank you, everyone." Sasuke bowed to Biwako-sensei, then to one half of the room, and then the other half of the room. Some of the women nodded back to him, all of them still smiling.

"Come on, open them!" One woman called out impatiently. Naruto quickly sat down, the Uchiha easing himself into his own chair.

"Mind if I?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and watched as his husband pulled one of the wrapped boxes out of the pile enthusiastically. Quickly tearing the wrapping off, the blonde tossed it onto the table and pulled open the box. "Oh, this is cool!" The blonde pulled a crib mobile out from the tissue paper, little silver stars and a bright gold crescent moon dangling from the plastic ring on white strings.

"It plays 'twinkle twinkle, little star' too." An older woman pointed out.

"Thank you." Sasuke told her. The woman smiled and raised her hand up to her hair, almost unconsciously trying to smooth it down.

"Do you two want to open a few more? We can use them as examples of good toys." Biwako-sensei motioned to the pile of presents. Sasuke found himself reaching for a large blue paper bag with pink tissue paper. Pushing the tissue paper aside, Sasuke pulled out a box with a picture of something bright and colorful with wheels and a handle.

"It's a learning walker, it will help the little one with sitting and standing. When they're old enough." A woman spoke up. Naruto leaned in and stared at the picture on the front of the box, getting a closer look at the colorful plastic thing with wheels.

"I guess this would be for later on? When the, the little one is old enough to lift their head?" The blonde asked. Sasuke looked away from the box to see the woman nod. Naruto pulled the box out of the Uchiha's hands and set it down in his lap so he could keep looking at it.

"You would be correct." Biwako-sensei walked towards them and tapped her finger against the box. "Why would a toy like this be good for a child?" The teacher asked. Biwako-sensei looked to Sasuke as she spoke.

"It's a sensory toy, a child could play with the front of it once they learn to sit up." Sasuke answered. The grey haired teacher nodded and stepped away from the table. "And again, when they start learning to stand up and walk."

"That's cool, it's like a two-in-one toy." Naruto spoke up. He set the box back on the table, on the edge of the mountain of gifts. Sasuke could hear Kohada giggle and a few of the women were holding back their laughter. Biwako-sensei turned head to look at the blue-eyed woman who shrugged her shoulders.

"He's just so cute." Kohada whispered loudly. The room burst into soft laughter as the blonde's face turned red. Sasuke grinned and watched his husband squirm in embarrassment.

"Yes, would anyone care to explain why the mobile is also a good toy for a newborn?" Biwako-sensei raised her voice above the chatter and waited for them to settle down. Once it was relatively quiet again, she nodded to one of the younger woman who had tentatively raised her hand.

"It adds dimension to the child's line of sight, infants typically enjoy ones that play music and have a high contrast in color." The woman explained. Sasuke glanced down to the moon and stars mobile he and Naruto had received, the fact it played 'twinkle, twinkle, little star' running through his mind again.

"Sasuke, Naruto, would you two care to open another one?" Biwako-sensei motioned to them again. Hesitantly, Naruto pulled a bag out from the pile and held it out for Sasuke to unwrap.

* * *

 **December 14** **th** **, still the thirty-first week,**

"You're late." Tsunade called out as soon as Sasuke stepped into the Hokage's office. Naruto followed him in, their coats in hand as Shizune shut the door. A chair had been dragged in front of the desk, which had the Uchiha frowning.

"We had a question for Biwako-sensei, about the last Baby Basics class." Naruto grinned. Both men walked up to the desk, Sasuke intentionally ignored the chair and remained standing.

"And you had visitors during that class, I heard Apricot's eyes were red." Tsunade glared at the pregnant male. "Stop being a brat and sit down, you know standing for an extended period of time isn't good for you." She told the Uchiha. Sasuke glared back at her as Naruto looked back, just now realizing what the chair was for.

"Her seal is weakening, we knew it would happen." The pregnant male responded testily. "Kyuubi's chakra is leaking when they're in close proximity but we're still a few months away from it being a problem." Sasuke shifted his weight, feeling his feet pulse with his heartbeat. They would be swollen by the time he got back home.

"Can you please sit down?" His husband asked. A warm hand gripped Sasuke's and squeezed gently. Glancing over, the Uchiha was unable to continue glaring at the wide, blue-eyed pout Naruto was giving him. With a sigh, Sasuke moved back and sat down in the chair. Naruto smiled and leaned down, kissing him on the forehead before straightening and giving the Hokage his full attention again.

"Which leads me to the point of why you're here, " Tsunade continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "How has the seal testing been progressing?" Sasuke tilted his head, sharing a look with Naruto before he decided to say something.

"The symbol combinations are getting stronger. We should have a few to try on Naruto in a few weeks." The Uchiha answered. Tsunade's golden brown eyes narrowed on the dark haired male, her hands coming to rest under her chin. Curling his toes, Sasuke was glad he was no longer standing.

"And have you given any thought as to where you will be trying these seal combinations?" She asked. The Uchiha crossed his arms over his chest and looked away from the older woman's gaze.

"We've already leased apartments and houses. It would be unprofessional to destroy them before they move in." Sasuke frowned as he continued. "I'd recommend doing it outside of the village entirely." Naruto shifted nervously. Tapping his finger, the Uchiha tried to hide the fact he was feeling nervous too. Remaining straight-faced, Tsunade dropped her hands onto her desk.

"Valid point." Tsunade responded. She looked to her desk and shuffled a few pieces of paper together. "We'll have an area outside of the village set up for containing the Kyuubi if he escapes. It should be ready within the week." Sasuke's eyes widened and the blonde next to him froze.

"So soon?" Naruto asked. Dropping his crossed arms, the Uchiha moved to sit up straight.

"I want to be the one that does it." Sasuke spoke up quickly. Tsunade turned her attention to him.

"You can't do that." Tsunade shot back. "You're unable to use your sharingan until after the baby is born and your body has recuperated." Stepping forward, the blonde opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by his husband.

"After that then." The pregnant male responded. Shaking her head, the Hokage slapped her hand down on her desk in aggravation.

"It's not going to happen, Uchiha." The authority in her voice and posture was evident as she straightened in her seat, glaring at the dark haired male.

"Hokage-" Naruto tried to interrupt. He shifted, looking between the older woman and his husband.

"Why the hell not?" Sasuke raised his voice. Tsunade's eyes narrowed, the anger evident in her facial expression at being questioned.

"Sasuke-" The blonde tried again to stop the two from fighting.

"Do you want your child to grow up like you did, without your parents?" Tsunade called out. As soon as she had said it, the pregnant male moved to stand. He would never let that happen, would never willingly let their child experience the loneliness that Naruto had felt, that he had felt.

"That won't happen." Sasuke struggled to get out of the chair, unable to keep his balance and nearly toppling to the side as he stood up. Tsunade slammed her fist on the table and opened her mouth to scream back at the Uchiha only to beaten to it.

"Listen to me!" Naruto screamed. Both Sasuke and Tsunade paused, looking to him in partial shock. He tossed the coats in his hands onto the chair and slapped his palms against his thighs. "I want Sasuke in the compound when we try sealing Kyuubi away." The blonde exhaled loudly. Grabbing Naruto's arm, the pregnant male pulled him back as Tsunade watched them from her desk.

"You can't just decide this for me!" Sasuke hissed. He could see the troubled expression the blonde had but this was something he didn't want to back down on, that he couldn't back down on. Naruto dragged Sasuke past the chair and towards the side of the room, making his husband face him.

"You need to be safe, no matter what happens." Naruto whispered. The Uchiha started to retort but his husband shook his head and continued. "I need to know that if I can't be there for our child, you will." Holding Sasuke by his shoulders, the blonde leaned forward so their foreheads were touching. Feeling a pang in his chest, Sasuke grimaced as Naruto stared at him with the determined stare.

"I won't let you die." The Uchiha murmured. Raising his hand, the dark haired male set his hands on top of Naruto's. Naruto responded with a sad smile and rubbed his hands down Sasuke's arms. Intertwining their fingers, the blonde lifted his head to place a kiss on his husband's forehead.

"I know that, but I won't let you put yourself in danger." The blonde raised their hands up to Sasuke's stomach. Brushing their fingers against the curved stretch of Sasuke's stomach, the little passenger started to kick. Taking a shaky breath, the Uchiha forced himself to nod. He knew that his husband and Tsunade wanted to keep him and the baby safe.

"Okay." The dark haired male murmured. Naruto smiled and Sasuke focused a glare on the blonde. "You're not allowed to die." He deadpanned. His husband looked shock at the order but quickly grinned and leaned in to give Sasuke a quick kiss.

"Are you two done yet?" The Hokage sighed. Sasuke looked over to glare at the older woman as Naruto started to step back towards the Hokage's desk. "Sit back down, pregnant brat." Refusing to respond to the comment, he followed Naruto back to his chair and eased himself back into it. Tsunade tapped her fingers against her desk, her eyes focused on a scroll that she had opened in front of her.

"We may not have time to wait for you to get your strength back after you give birth, Uchiha." She told them when the dark haired male stopped moving.

"I understand." Sasuke responded grudgingly. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the Hokage. When she glanced up, she didn't even look surprised that the Uchiha was trying to stare her down.

"With you unable to use your sharingan, we need to be able to seal Kyuubi's chakra on the first try." Tsunade stared long and hard at Sasuke before glancing to the blonde.

"Kakashi's sharingan won't be enough if he escapes?" Naruto asked.

"It's not something we can afford to chance." The Hokage responded. Sasuke scowled but didn't object. Naruto nervously shifted his weight, setting his hand on the Uchiha's shoulder and squeezing tightly.

"Understood." Sasuke grumbled. He moved to stand up again but the older woman raised her hand to stop him.

"Sit back down, we're not done yet." Tsunade told them. Sasuke grunted as he leaned back into his seat.

"What else is there?" The blonde moved closer, sitting down on the armrest of the chair. Tsunade rolled the scroll in front of her closed and turned her attention to the pregnant male.

"Your team Hebi was spotted at the outskirts of the forest earlier this week." She told them plainly. Sasuke's heart seemed to stop beating and ringing in his ears started as his husband stood up again.

"What?" Naruto asked. Reminding himself to breathe, Sasuke did his best to remain calm as the memories of that time came rushing to mind.

"Why are they here?" The Uchiha asked softly.

"We were unable to apprehend them. They bolted as soon as they were spotted by a patrol." Tsunade shrugged her shoulders. "Thought you two should know, since they're probably here for Sasuke." She motioned to the dark haired male and Sasuke moved to stand up. Naruto was gaping between Tsunade and his husband, unsure of what to say.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." The Uchiha bowed his head and reached up to grab Naruto by his neck. Making the blonde lower his head, Sasuke let him go and headed for the office door.

"Sasuke, wait!" Naruto followed his husband. "Thanks, old hag!" The pregnant male pulled open the door and he could hear his husband grabbing their coats and chasing after him.

"Hey, what did you just call me?" Tsunade screamed after them. Stepping out into the hallway, Sasuke heard the blonde nearly jogging after him. The door swung shut before the blonde woman could say anything else.

"Slow down, Teme!" Naruto called out. Sasuke took a deep breath and paused in his stride down the hallway. "What are we going to do?" The blonde haired male caught up with him and kept up with his husband's pace. Quickly making it to the stairwell, Sasuke grabbed the handrail and awkwardly started to descend as Naruto slowed down to stop from getting ahead.

"Nothing." The Uchiha responded. Naruto stopped in the middle of the stairs, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Nothing?" His husband repeated. Sasuke frowned and kept moving down the stairs, it was too much effort to stop halfway down a flight of steps in his condition.

"We're both on maternity leave. We're not allowed to do anything." He heard Naruto quickly descend the stairs, catching up with Sasuke quicker than the pregnant male would have liked. Stepping into the ground floor hallway, his husband pulled him aside.

"When has that ever stopped us?" His husband grinned. Sasuke shook his head and grabbed his coat from the blonde and pulled it on.

"Leave it be, Dobe." The Uchiha muttered. He watched the blonde scoff and take on a serious expression.

"Sasuke, they followed you out of Orochimaru's lair, intent on following you to kill your brother." Naruto said in a low voice. Glancing around, Sasuke checked to see if anyone passing by was listening to the conversation.

"And to destroy Konoha." The Uchiha whispered back. He felt a pang in his chest as he said it, that moment felt like it had happened a lifetime ago. Sasuke hated feeling vulnerable but if there was one thing his husband was good at, it was reassuring him. His husband sighed and Sasuke watched him shake his head. Taking in those big blue eyes, the whisker-like scars on his tan cheeks, and the way his bright blonde hair stood up in all directions. This was one of his vulnerable moments.

"Jūgo followed you because you could stop him if he went on a rampage. Suigetsu came with you so he could find Kisame and take Samehada from him and Karin joined up because she was infatuated with you. They were following you, none of them cared about destroying Konoha." Naruto explained. Lifting both hands, the blonde cupped Sasuke's cheeks in his palms before lowering them to his shoulders and round stomach. "But that doesn't mean we just sit around and wait for them to sneak into the village to get you."

"That's exactly what we have to do." Sasuke sighed. He turned his body so he could lean against the wall and watched Naruto step in front of him. "We have to trust the Hokage to keep them out of the village and focus on us." His husband crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

"I don't like not being able to do anything." Naruto sighed. Sasuke pushed himself away from the wall and clapped a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"We can paint the baby's room." The Uchiha tightened his grip on his husband's shoulder. Naruto's troubled expression lifted and he leaned over to give Sasuke a quick kiss.

* * *

"I don't know, do you think yellow is really the way to go?" Naruto asked. Sasuke ripped off the end of the blue painters tape from the roll and made sure it was pressed securely over the wall-trim before he looked up. The blonde had already started painting one wall, standing over the tarp they had laid out with a roller paintbrush. He'd already gotten part of the wall painted in the pale yellow color they had ended up picking out.

"It's too late now." Sasuke told him. The muscles in his abdomen twinged as he turned to face the blonde. Naruto took a step back and tilted his head as he looked at the wide lines of yellow. When his husband looked back, Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "We can paint over it if we don't like it." The blonde nodded and looked back to the wall.

Moving to stand up, Sasuke felt something pull in his back before feeling the pain. Hissing, the Uchiha winced and leaned against the wall. He pressed a hand against his back and before he could say anything, Naruto was next to him and looking worried. Another twinge in his abdomen had the Uchiha's knees buckling and the blonde caught him as the pregnant male's mind whirled with what was happening to his body. "Sasuke, what's wrong?" The blonde asked. He moved to lean against the wall, his husband helping him sit down.

"Get Sakura." Sasuke grunted. As soon as the dark haired male was sitting down, Naruto was halfway to the door. Shifting uncomfortably, the Uchiha groaned as the pain in his lower back flared up again. He heard his husband move around the house and open the front door.

A few seconds later, someone came running back into the house and Sasuke looked up to see the blonde coming back through the door. "What are you doing?" He asked. The blonde kneeled down next to him and set his hands on the Uchiha's stomach.

"I'm a clone, the original is getting Sakura." Naruto told him. "What hurts?" Taking a deep breath, Sasuke lifted his hips, hissing as the muscles in his lower back sung in pain again. His husband's clone grabbed his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"My back, I think I might be going into labor." He settled back down and tried to hold still. The muscles in his abdomen had stopped the twinge feeling but the fear that he was going into labor was still present in his mind.

"Oh shit, shit!" The blonde cursed. "What do I do?" Sasuke looked up and glared at the clone.

"You're supposed to be getting Sakura!" The Uchiha snapped. His husband's clone gaped at him.

"I am! I'm just a clone." Naruto spluttered out. That didn't stop Sasuke from continuing to glare at him. A minute or two of glaring at the clone, there came the sounds of someone entering the front door and taking off their shoes.

"Calm down, I'm here!" Sakura's voice called out. A few seconds later she was standing in the doorway, pulling off her coat and getting down on her knees to kneel next to them. The clone backed away and the pink haired medic checked Sasuke's vitals.

"What happened?" She asked with a hand to Sasuke's jugular.

"I think I had a contraction and then pain, in my lower back when I tried to stand up." Sasuke explained.

"Alright, lie down on your side." Sakura told him. Wincing as he moved, Sakura helped him onto his side and she set her hands on his stomach. As soon as her hands turned green, Sasuke took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. Naruto was standing in the doorway, his clone sitting on the floor behind Sakura.

"Is he okay?" Naruto asked. Sasuke glanced to him and then Sakura, her focus completely on his little passenger. The real Naruto stepped into the room, dispelling his clone and taking its place near the dark haired male's head. Sakura moved her hands from Sasuke's abdomen to his back, quickly running her fingers across his spine.

"It looks like you pulled a muscle while having some Braxton Hicks contractions. You're fine." Sakura explained. Pulling her glowing green hands away, she reached to help him sit back up. Wincing when he used the apparently pulled muscle, the Uchiha sat back up and leaned against the wall.

"Are you sure? How can you know?" Naruto asked. Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Did the feeling get stronger over time?" She asked. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"No, it's gone now." He answered.

"After you stood up, or sat down?" Sakura questioned.

"Yes." The Uchiha told her. Both Sakura and Sasuke looked to Naruto who looked happily relieved.

"Like I said, fine." The medic-nin sighed.

"What should I do the next time it happens?" Sasuke set a hand on his stomach and sighed. Right now, he was still trying to convince himself he wasn't going into early labor.

"Taking a walk, a warm bath, or get a massage." She told him. Sakura moved to stand up and glanced around the barren room as she dusted her knees off. "So, you two decided to paint it yellow?" Motioning to the partially painted wall, Sakura watched Naruto hold a hand out to Sasuke to help him up.

"Do you like it?" The blonde asked. Sasuke winced as he got onto his feet and pressed a hand on the pain in his lower back. Naruto wrapped his arms around the pregnant male, holding him close.

"I think it'll be great when it's finished." She told them with a smile. Naruto was practically beaming when he let go of Sasuke and Sakura went to pick up her coat from the hallway floor. "You'll need to put some ice on that." Sakura told him as she pulled on her coat.

"Thank you, for coming over so quickly." The Uchiha murmured. She gave him a smile before leaving the room. Sasuke glanced to Naruto and they both followed her down the hallway. Naruto darted into the kitchen as Sasuke walked Sakura to the door.

"That's why I moved into the compound, remember?" The pink haired woman teased. Sasuke rolled his eyes as she pulled on her shoes. "Have a good rest of the night. I'll see you two tomorrow." Sakura waved to the dark haired male and to Naruto behind him who had just walked out of the kitchen with an ice pack in hand.

"Here." Naruto handed over the ice pack and Sasuke immediately placed it against the sore back muscles. "Are you sure you don't want to lie down?" The blonde asked. Sakura giggled when the pregnant male rolled his eyes.

"I want to watch you paint the baby's room." The Uchiha told him. Naruto sighed and waved to Sakura as she left, still smiling. "I'm going to grab some pillows, and some blankets." Sasuke told his husband as soon as Sakura had shut the front door.

"Ooh, I'm going to make hot chocolate!" Watching his husband dart back into the kitchen, the pregnant male smiled and headed for their bedroom.


	38. This Sucks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I reward you all with another one!  
> Update Note: Accidentally published an old version of the chapter (no idea how it got there) but it's been updated to the final edited version.

**December 17th, the thirty-second week,**

_He knew where he was; he'd been here before. Glancing around, Sasuke took in the rubble and ruin. The earth was torn all around him, broken rocks, patches of dirt where grass had been ripped out. This was a battlefield._

" _Why am I here?" Sasuke heard himself mutter. Walking deeper into the destruction, the Uchiha tried to remember how he knew this place. The farther he walked, the greater the destruction became. This was where most of the battle had taken place. When Sasuke found himself in front of a slab of rock nearly as tall as he was, he knew he couldn't jump. Looking down, he took in the sight of his swollen, pregnant stomach. What was he doing outside of Konoha, in a battlefield?_

_Walking around it, Sasuke continued looking for something that would explain why he was here. Turning a corner, the scene before the dark haired male brought all the memories back. He was leaning against a mound of rubble with Itachi right in front of him. Sasuke stopped breathing as he watched himself stare; scared to see his older brother standing just inches away._

_Stepping forward, Sasuke let out a shaky breath as Itachi slowly raised two fingers and pressed them against the other Sasuke's forehead. 'Sorry, Sasuke.' Itachi whispered. The pregnant Uchiha didn't hear it, but he knew what his older brother had said. "This is the last time." Sasuke knew he didn't imagine hearing that. He stopped just a few feet from the scene as Itachi collapsed onto the ground, dead. Tears he didn't realize had formed ran down his cheeks, his breathing ragged as he watched his brother die before his eyes again._

" _I'm sorry." Sasuke choked out. His voice cracked and he bowed his head, pressing the palm of his hand against his closed eyes to wipe away the tears._

" _Don't be." The sound of Itachi's voice startled the dark haired male. Opening his eyes, the pregnant male was shocked to see his older brother standing in front of him. Itachi was clean of blood and debris now, his Akatsuki cloak immaculate but the lines under his eyes remained._

" _This isn't real. You died." Sasuke whispered. He took a step back, not knowing how to react. Should he be afraid? Angry? Looking around, his younger self was nowhere to be found._

" _I know." Itachi stated. The older Uchiha stared at Sasuke, seemingly taking in his appearance. Sasuke looked back, confused on how he should react, how he should feel at seeing his brother again. Those familiar obsidian eyes looked down, taking in the changes in the pregnant male's body. "Naruto is the father, I take it?"_

" _You're not surprised." Sasuke bit out. He didn't know what kind of reaction he expected but when his older brother smiled, Sasuke was dumbfounded._

" _He loves you. I saw it, even when you were children." Itachi looked back up, the small, knowing smile still there. This was too much. Seeing his brother, talking to him, that he accepted his relationship with Naruto without even blinking._

" _Itachi, I-I'm sorry-" Sasuke tried to apologize again._

" _Do I need to repeat myself, little brother?" The dead Uchiha interrupted. He tilted his head to the side, his hair dropping in front of his face. Not knowing how to answer, the pregnant male could only stare at his dead older brother. "There's nothing to be sorry for."_

" _Onii-san." Sasuke tried to hold back more tears as his throat burned from cries he refused to let out._

" _I'm proud of you." Itachi told him. The pregnant male inhaled shakily, his chest heaving as he held back his sobs. Pain erupted in his side, making the younger Uchiha gasp in surprise. He raised his hand to where the pain was coming from, his jaw dropping as a strange sensation engulfed him._

Sasuke realized the baby was kicking as soon as the discomfort ached in his side a second time. Blinking into fully aware consciousness, the dark haired male groaned and rolled onto his back, intent on turning onto his other side. He was stopped when he turned his head and came face to face with Naruto. Tilting his head back in surprise, the Uchiha scooted back, and continued to fidget in an attempt to get comfortable. His side was still aching.

"You okay?" Naruto asked. Readjusting the pillow between his legs, Sasuke thought about how to explain the swirl of emotions going through his mind.

"I was dreaming." The Uchiha explained.

"Good, bad, or weird?" He asked. Sasuke frowned as the blonde shifted, settling in to listen. Not knowing how to respond, the dark haired male focused his attention on the spot of drying drool on Naruto's pillow.

"I'm not sure." He finally answered.

"Want to tell me about it?" The blonde questioned. Itachi smiling at him ripped across his mind and seconds later the baby gave a soft kick. The little passenger was taking a break from the morning kicking routine.

"Don't you have to be at the training field?" Sasuke reached up to poke Naruto's chest with his pointer finger. He was avoiding the question and the blonde raised an eyebrow immediately.

"We're taking the morning to regroup. Apricot's seal is breaking down faster than we expected." Naruto explained. Frowning in concern, the dark haired male pressed his hand to his husband's chest. He could feel his heartbeat, a strong, steady pulse.

"How so?" The Uchiha pressed. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he raised his hand to cover the hand on his chest.

"You're trying to change the subject." The blonde pointed out. Sasuke watched him grin and barely restrained the urge to roll his eyes.

"Tell me." Sasuke responded adamantly. He didn't need to explain that Apricot's seal was more important than his dream.

"We think Kyuubi is trying to force his chakra through Apricot's seal, accelerating the degradation." Naruto told him calmly. He curled his fingers around the Uchiha's hand. "It gets worse when I'm in close proximity to her." Sasuke lifted his head, shocked that he was only just now hearing about it.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? That is serious." With a soft grunt, he pulled his hand away. The Uchiha pressed his hand to the mattress and moved to sit up. The proverbial gears began spinning in his mind, what could he do to prolong Apricot's seal? Was there a way to stop Kyuubi? Naruto reached out, setting a hand on his shoulder to stop his struggling to sit upright.

"I know, but Kakashi and Yamato have it under control. You should be resting, not stressing this far into your pregnancy." The blonde assured him. Sasuke frowned, uncertain and trying to keep thinking of possible solutions as his mind focused on the blonde's last sentence.

"Taji-san told you that." Sasuke pointed out. Naruto bit his lower lip as he attempted to hide his smile. Letting his head fall back onto the pillow, Sasuke settled back down and reached out to softly punch his the blonde's shoulder.

"Doesn't make it any less true." Naruto chuckled. He moved himself closer, nudging Sasuke's feet with his own and setting a hand over Sasuke's little passenger. "Now spill, what did you dream about?" Sasuke sighed and focused his attention on Sasuke's scarred cheeks and perfect nose. He really didn't want to see the emotions run through Naruto's expressive blue eyes.

"Itachi." The Uchiha breathed. Naruto's stillness was to be expected and the Uchiha started to chew the inside of his cheek. It was possible that he would never be able to talk about his brother without the guilt churning in his gut. That he'd never be able to stop it from welling up to constrict around his chest and throat.

"Good, bad, or weird?" Naruto repeated after a moment of hesitation. Sasuke snorted and took a deep breath, the tension dissipating a little.

"All of them." The Uchiha answered. His husband nudged Sasuke's feet with his own under the covers.

"What happened in your dream?" Naruto pressed. The dark haired male brushed his toes across bony ankles that were not his.

"It was in the ruins," The Uchiha started to explain. He dreamed about Itachi's death more times than he could count, not as often as when Naruto first brought him back. The blonde didn't need him to explain what ruins he was talking about. "I was walking around, looking for something. This time, I was pregnant." Naruto looked down to Sasuke's round stomach.

"Did you find Itachi?" The blonde asked softly. Nodding, Sasuke bit down on his lower lip before continuing.

"It was like I went back in time. I watched him die in front of me, but it was like watching it through someone else's eyes." Naruto was patiently listening, "The next thing I knew, he was standing in front of me." Tears were forming in his eyes and he blinked rapidly, willing them to disappear.

"He spoke to you?" Naruto guessed.

"I know it was a dream but he," Taking a deep breath, Sasuke forced back the need to cry. "He told me not to be sorry, and that he knew you loved me when we were young." Sasuke's throat constricted and he choked out a small sob. The blonde raised his hand over his husband's arm to rub his back comfortingly.

"Well, he wasn't wrong." Naruto whispered. Surprised, Sasuke let out a sound between another sob and laughter.

"Usuratonkachi." The Uchiha pushed at the blonde's shoulder, a halfhearted attempt to push him away. "He told me, that he was proud of me." He took a deep breath, sniffing loudly to stop his nose from running. The blonde continued to rub circles across his back, grounding the pregnant male to keep him calm.

"He would be, you know he would." Naruto told him. Leaning in closer, the blonde tilted his head and pressed his lips against Sasuke's. Lips were soft and pliant against his, the hand on his back warm and reassuring. Sasuke's throat constricted again, he turned his head to break the kiss. Letting out a short gasp, he tried to breathe deeply. Naruto let him gain back his composure quietly, waiting for him to feel ready to continue talking.

"It was just a stupid dream." The Uchiha muttered. Naruto continued to rub circles across his back was warm and comforting. It made him feel better, more than he thought it would.

"I think it was the truth, and that it was what you needed to hear, Sasuke." The blonde whispered. "Even if it was just a dream." He bit his lower lip, closed his eyes and dropped his head to his lover's chest. Naruto continued to rub his back in random circles, pressing his face into the dark hair to place a kiss on the top of his head.

"I miss him." Naruto was quiet, his face still buried in the silky black hair. Reaching out, the pregnant male wrapped his own arm around the blonde's waist, tugging him closer. He could almost hear the blonde thinking to himself and Sasuke found that he was wondering what was bothering him. Who did Naruto miss? "Jiraiya?" He asked softly. They didn't talk about it much, or even often but just like Itachi, Jiraiya and his death was a sensitive topic.

"Yeah." The blonde murmured. Tightening his grip around Naruto's waist, Sasuke pressed his nose into the tan collarbone.

"Do you dream about him?" Sasuke asked. His voice muffled against warm skin. Naruto's hand continued moving across his back and Sasuke brushed his thumb against warm skin.

"Sometimes." He whispered. Sasuke blinked when he felt those attentive lips against the top of his head again. Closing his eyes, he pressed his face harder into Naruto's chest.

"Want to talk about it?" Sasuke asked. There was a difference in how they handled this, with Itachi, his thoughts always lingered over the 'what ifs' and 'maybes'. It would gnaw at his consciousness for days, souring his mood until he became maudlin. Naruto would pick a fight, usually leaving them too tired to stand up and afterwards Sasuke would repeat aloud what he was thinking. With Jiraiya, Naruto would talk about it if he wanted to. Prying or trying to force him to talk also ended up with a fight, but Naruto would always stubbornly refuse to say anything. He would talk about it when he was ready and Sasuke would listen when that time came.

"Not really." The blonde whispered. He inhaled and exhaled twice before speaking again. "He treated me like family, in his own way." Naruto chuckled as he buried his head against Sasuke's hair. The Uchiha didn't press for more, feeling the hand on his back still before reaching up to cup the back of his neck. Sasuke closed his eyes again and they lay there, holding each other for comfort as they remembered the loved ones they'd lost.

* * *

**December 19th, still the thirty-second week,**

Back pain was almost worst than his inability to bend over. Sasuke pushed back his shoulders, wincing as his lower back protested. His body ached, no matter what position he shifted into in the uncomfortable chair in the cramped scroll room. After half an hour, the pregnant male groaned and moved to stand up, his back wanting to hunch over unnaturally.

Putting away the scrolls, the dark haired male forced himself to stand up straight and held back a groan of pain. Opening the door, the Uchiha turned off the light in the scroll room and grabbed his coat. Letting the door close behind him, Sasuke stepped out into the hallway. "This sucks." Sasuke muttered to himself. He made it several steps away from the door before he felt someone move behind him. Whipping his head around, obsidian eyes took in the sight of Naruto moving to follow him.

"Oh come on, you've had over seven months to complain. You've got less than two months!" His blonde grinned. Sasuke continued to walk down the hallway and listened to the orange clad man to jog after him.

"Forty days, less than six weeks." The Uchiha pointed out. Wrapping an arm around Sasuke's shoulders, Naruto pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"You're counting the days?" He asked. Sasuke raised his eyebrows, surprised that it was even a question.

"Hn." The Uchiha hummed. Shrugging the arm off his shoulders, Sasuke held out his hand and let their fingers become intertwined. They made it to the stairwell before Naruto spoke up again.

"Do you regret it?" He asked in a quiet voice. Pausing as he tried to get his body down the steps, the pregnant male pinned a stare on the blonde. "Choosing to carry our child instead of me." Naruto elaborated. Frowning, the Uchiha shook his head and continued his way down the steps.

"No. Just ready for the little passenger to not be a passenger anymore." He explained. The blonde let out a soft sigh; he raced down the last few steps and helped Sasuke onto the ground floor. Sasuke paused in the stairwell, a sweat starting to break out as he tried to control his heavy breathing.

"I know. Want to take a quick breather?" Naruto questioned. Sasuke nodded and moved towards the wall and away from the stairs. Leaning against the wall, the pregnant male groaned and set a hand on his stomach.

"I hate this." He grumbled. The blonde awkwardly tucked his hands into his pockets and Sasuke took a deep breath.

"Sorry." Naruto started to apologize. Shaking his head, the Uchiha waved his hand at him.

"Don't be." The Uchiha stopped him before he could continue on. "We both wanted this." Right then, the baby kicked at his bladder and he winced at the feeling.

"I don't like seeing you in pain." Naruto raised his hand to brush some of Sasuke's bangs behind his ear. It fell right back into place as Sasuke watched him in momentary confusion.

"Naruto, the baby's kicking." He explained. The blonde blinked in surprise before looking down to Sasuke's round stomach. "The little one has been aiming for my bladder all day." Naruto's worried expression melted into the child-like awe he'd always shown when the little passenger moved. He looked down to Sasuke's belly, his fingers twitching but his hand remaining at his side.

"Oh, can I?" The blonde asked. Sasuke nodded and motioned for him to bring his hand closer.

"You don't have to ask." The dark haired male told him. He placed a hand on the Uchiha's stomach, rubbing small circles as he waited for the baby to kick again.

"I know." Naruto grinned. As if on cue, the baby gave another kick and the dark haired male winced again. His husband continued to move his hand in circles, watching Sasuke shift in discomfort. "Think you can walk? Maybe it'll help the baby settle down." The Uchiha nodded and let the blonde lead them out of the stairwell.

"We're going to be late." Sasuke explained. Naruto looked back, smiling and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Taji-san will understand." The blonde shrugged his shoulders. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, the pregnant male picked up his pace. He brushed passed Naruto and looked back after a few steps, seeing the grin he knew would be here. The blonde caught up with him, walking next to him to the front door of the Hokage tower.

It was freezing cold, the wind almost brutally chilled. Sasuke stuffed his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders in attempt to protect his face. Naruto followed him out the door, stretching his arms out as if he enjoyed the bitter winds of winter.

"Too cold for you?" The blonde asked. Sasuke scowled at him and started the fairly short trek from the Hokage tower to the hospital. Naruto trailed after him, grinning as he followed the pregnant male obediently.

"I'm fine." Sasuke grumbled. The blonde tilted his head but was still grinning as he slipped his hand into the Uchiha's pocket, his fingers cold. Letting out a quiet hiss, the dark haired male pulled his hand out of his pocket, Naruto's fingers still wrapped around his before he shook them off. The blonde chuckled and tried to grab Sasuke's hand again before being slapped away forcefully. "Stop it. Your hand is cold." He growled.

"Yeah, I want you to warm them." Naruto teased. He gave Sasuke a suggestive wink and immediately raised an arm to defend himself from the Uchiha's elbow. "Come on, just a little handholding? Sasuke!" He yelled after him. The Uchiha glared at him, tucked his arms close to his sides and stormed away.

Focusing on the puffs of white in front of his face, the dark haired male walked in the direction of the hospital. He could tell that the blonde was following close behind him but the Uchiha refused to slow down. As soon as his check up with Taji-san was done, he was going back home and working out. Well, as much of a workout as he could get away with when his middle was ballooning out in front of him. Would he even be able to make it forty more days like this? Even now, barely a few minutes away from the Hokage's tower he was out of breath again.

"I guess this is a good time to tell you, Kakashi and Yamato have been thinking about moving the testing outside of the compound." Naruto told him when he caught up again, hands stuffed into his pockets. Slowing pace, Sasuke inhaled through his nose and exhaled out of his mouth, trying not to show his breathlessness.

"Why?" The Uchiha asked. The feeling of someone staring at them had the dark haired male lifting his head and looking around. An older man quickly turned his head as they passed where he was standing. The raised hairs on the back of his neck told Sasuke that he had returned to staring at them walking away. Most people had gotten used to seeing him in his condition but obviously there were a few people in the village that still didn't seem to believe it.

"A few reasons." Naruto's focus seemed to be everywhere but on Sasuke when the Uchiha returned his attention to him. It took jabbing the blonde in the ribs with his elbow to get more information out of him. "The containment area outside of the village has been ready for a few days and the clones' reactions to the seal testing are getting a little violent." Still, the blonde refused to meet his gaze.

"Has Kyuubi damaged the training field?" Sasuke tilted his head in Naruto's direction. The dark haired male's gaze narrowed on his face, looking for any expression or micro-expression for a hint of why he'd clammed up so suddenly.

"Nothing too serious, a few holes and little misplaced dirt." He explained with a short shrug of his shoulders.

"Serious enough if they think Kyuubi's becoming too much of a threat." The Uchiha countered. He knew the blonde had talked Kakashi and Yamato into staying in the compound for him the last few days but it sounded like they were ready to move the testing out of the compound.

"We're being cautious." Naruto elaborated. Finally the blonde looked to him and Sasuke raised an eyebrow in response. "We also thought it'd be a good idea to test run the containments seals that Tsunade set up. For you know, when it happens." The Uchiha muttered softly.

"You think I'm still pissed about not being there." Sasuke stated. Shifting his shoulders uncomfortably, the blonde tilted his head with a slight grimace.

"I'm pretty sure it's still a touchy subject." Naruto told him plainly. He rolled his eyes; of course it still bothered him.

"Hn." The Uchiha responded noncommittally. "Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to see you in the next few weeks?"

"You'll see me, just not as much as you'd like." He teased. Sasuke grunted noncommittally and watched his husband laugh.

* * *

Naruto took the liberty of knocking on the door while Sasuke tugged off his coat and opened it when they heard the response 'come in'. The small doctors office was exactly how Sasuke had left it when he had been in it two weeks ago. Taji-san was sitting in her chair, next to the patient's chair, smiling at them as they walked in.

"Good morning. How are we doing?" Taji motioned for them to take their respective seats. Sasuke placed his coat on the hangar on the wall before easing himself down onto the exam chair in the middle of the small room. Naruto shut the door and locked it before beginning to unbutton his jacket.

"Some back pain." The pregnant male stated. He leaned back and got comfortable for his checkup. Naruto hung his own coat up and sat down in the seat across from the obstetrician. She nodded in understanding, giving Sasuke a look over as he pulled his shirt up.

"I heard from Sakura that you had a labor scare last week, do you want to tell me about it?" Taji asked. The Uchiha bit the inside of his cheek, his cheeks growing hot. Refusing to meet the older woman's gaze, he glanced to Naruto who was looking back expectantly. 'Tell her' the blonde mouthed.

"I pulled a muscle in my back while having an episode of Braxton Hicks contractions." Sasuke explained. He glared at Naruto who shrugged his shoulders and looked wholly unaffected. The dark haired male felt the urge to stick his tongue out at him. His blonde seemed to read his mind and grinned at him, leaning back in his seat. He looked ridiculously smug with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Have you had any more of them?" Taji-san questioned. She plucked at her sleeves, pulling them up a fraction before she reached for a bottle of hand sanitizer. The obstetrician squeezed out a dollop of it, rubbing it between her hands in preparation for his checkup.

"No, just the back pain." Sasuke replied quickly. Taji-san nodded and moved her chair closer to Sasuke, her eyes taking in his form with a critical eye.

"You should remain vigilant about the back pain, it can be a sign of pre-term labor." She continued to rub her hands together, looking up to make sure both men nodded in understanding. "Let's get you checked out then." Setting her hands on his stomach, she gently pressed in a few places before her hands began to glow green.

"How have you been, Taji-san?" Naruto asked after a few moments of silence. Taji tilted her head at the question, her hands slowly moving over Sasuke's rounded stomach.

"I've been well, thank you for asking." The obstetrician answered. "How have you been, Naruto?" She sounded a little distracted but Naruto's face lit up in a wide smile.

"I've been good, the thing with Apricot is a little stressful but nothing I can't handle." The blonde grinned. Sasuke felt Taji press down a little near his pubic bone and winced at the feeling. It wasn't painful, exactly. The pressure was more uncomfortable than anything else.

"Oh?" She asked. Her hands grazed over the curve of his stomach one more time before she puller her hands away. "How have you been feeling, overall?" She questioned.

"Mostly tired." The Uchiha responded. He watched her reach again for the bottle of sanitizer, cleaning her hands methodically.

"And how often do you rest during the day?" Taji continued. Sasuke watched her pick up a clipboard from the table and started to write something down.

"A few times a day." He said after a few seconds of thinking about it. Taji glanced up and looked him over again with a critical eye.

"What do you do when you're resting?" She pressed. Frowning, the pregnant male glanced to Naruto who was looking a little helpless with his big blue eyes wide in concern.

"Sitting mostly. I take a nap when I need to." Sasuke knew he was looking at her with furrowed brows. He didn't understand why she was focusing on his tiredness for this week's checkup.

"How often is that?" Taji looked up, tapping her pen against the wooden clipboard several times before Sasuke answered.

"Every other day, maybe?" He didn't mean for it to come out as a question but the way the obstetrician was looking at him, nothing he could say would get him out of trouble.

"So, how are Sasuke and his little passenger?" The blonde asked. Sasuke looked over to him to see that he'd dropped his hands down onto his lap. Taji gave Naruto a small smile as she set down her clipboard and pen. Sitting up, the dark haired male pulled his shirt back down and watched his obstetrician, trying to figure out what she was going to say from her posture.

"I'd recommend real bed rest, nothing too extreme." She raised a hand in reaction to Sasuke leaning forward to retort. "You should probably spend a few hours a day resting comfortably at home, instead of going to the Hokage tower." Sasuke's mouth hung open, he was almost at a total loss of what to say.

"I need to keep working," The Uchiha paused. "There's no way the clerk will let me take any of the scrolls home." He looked to Naruto. The blonde was biting his lower lip, looking like he wanted to say something. Taji set her hands in her lap, looking resolute in her decision.

"What you need to do is stop worrying. From the stories I've heard from Sakura and Naruto, your friends are more than capable." The older woman motioned to the blonde and Sasuke glanced to him again, Naruto looked back sheepishly. Sasuke knew almost immediately that he had said something to the obstetrician and glared at him.

"Hn." Sasuke hummed. The blonde shrugged, not looking the least bit remorseful. He straightened in his seat before turning his attention back to Taji-sensei.

"And we've got people moving into the compound in two weeks on top of that. It's a lot." Naruto refused to look back to Sasuke as he spoke. Raising a hand up in exasperation, the Uchiha opened his mouth to refute that last statement.

"Oh? That soon?" Taji smiled as she turned her attention back to the pregnant male, her expression having taken on a steel edge to it.

"I can handle it." The dark haired male scoffed. Crossing his arms over his chest, the Uchiha tried level a glare at the obstetrician but found his gaze wandering to the door. Attempting to be rude to an elder he respected and liked was more difficult than he thought it would be.

"Just because you could do it all before you were pregnant does not mean you can push yourself." Taji sighed. Naruto was nervously fidgeting in his seat and Sasuke had a sinking feeling that the blonde knew what she was going to say next. "I don't like to do this, Sasuke but you're not to go back to the Hokage tower until after the baby is born." Shocked, the Uchiha leaned forward. He attempted to move off of the chair but Naruto had stood up, holding his shoulders to stop him from getting up and Taji set her hand on his knee.

"You can't-" The Uchiha tried to articulate his argument again. He looked between his husband and his obstetrician, his reasoning stuck in his throat. Taji-san squeezed his knee in a manner that was meant to be comforting. The pregnant male closed his mouth, breathing heavily through his nose as he let Naruto push him back down into the chair.

"Doctor's orders." She stated. Forcing air into his lungs, the Uchiha set a hand on his pregnant stomach, his mind flipping through ideas and plans. What would he do if he couldn't access the scroll rooms? "And if you're feeling tired, lay down. Don't worry about excessive napping. Do you understand, Sasuke?"

"Yes." Sasuke breathed. He didn't want to understand, how was he going to help if he wasn't allowed back into the Hokage tower? The older woman seemed to recognize his shocked acknowledgment for what it was and accepted it.

"Good, I wouldn't want to send Sakura after you. She's as stubborn as she is smart." Taji sighed as she stood up. She probably meant for it to sound comforting, but all the pregnant male could hear in it was the ring of imprisonment. "Do you have any questions?"

"I do." Sasuke hissed out. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore the violent beating of his heart in his chest. "If I'm not allowed to go to the Hokage's tower, am I no longer allowed to exercise?"

"I certainly wouldn't recommend anything that required standing for long periods of time." Taji-san sighed. Her expression was weary, as if conceding to allow him any physical activity was far more than she was willing to give. "I do understand that inactivity is difficult for you but putting that kind of stress on your body won't do you or the baby any good." The dark haired male dipped his head in a shallow nod, knowing that her explanation was valid. Still, the feeling of being trapped and restricted by his body of all things was unnerving.

"Is there anything you would recommend I do to alleviate boredom while I'm on bed rest?" He forced out that he hoped sounded calm. Taji-san's shoulders straightened at the question. Her posture straightened and her expression brightened.

"There are a few activities I think would help. Reading would probably be the most enjoyable for you. Doing puzzles, planning a get together with friends, or even preparing the nursery is an option. Some women who have needed bed rest have taken up knitting, or keeping a journal but I don't think you'd find those activities very enjoyable." Sasuke snorted in agreement.

"Reading and puzzles, got it." The pregnant male responded half-heartedly.

"Well, I'll let you two to talk. See you again in two weeks?" Taji-san sighed. She stood up and looked to Naruto in a manner that meant there was something more than she was saying. The blonde seemed to know what the look meant, judging by the small nod he gave her while he moved to stand up.

"Yes, two weeks. Thank you, Taji-sensei." Naruto bowed to her as Sasuke tilted his head, his mind still whirling with half formed thoughts. Taji smiled and quietly left the room. "Sorry, Sasuke." Naruto murmured. He leaned down, pressing a chaste kiss to the dark haired male's forehead. The Uchiha felt something akin to ice roll down his spine, his shock morphing into anger.

"You tattled on me?" The Uchiha hissed. Sasuke looked up to glare at the blonde who looked equally guilty and concerned.

"I'm worried about you." Naruto explained. He moved around to the other side of Sasuke's chair, taking Taji's seat. "You've been pushing yourself way too much recently." He set his hand down over Sasuke's, gripping it in a tight squeeze. Lowering his gaze to their hands, Sasuke scowled and pulled his hand away. He was angry, angry for being restricted even more now, frustrated that his blonde had gone behind his back instead of talking to him about this.

"I'm fine." Sasuke grunted.

"No, you're not!" The Uchiha looked up in surprise at the outburst. Naruto's expression was one of unbridled anger but what caught Sasuke's attention was the small ring of red around his pupil. His mind supplied the memory of them in the shower after the second part of the Chuunin exam and the annoying usage of the word 'mine'. The blonde continued ranting, unaware of Sasuke's revelation. "You're stubborn. You won't take breaks even when you're tired and you resent every second that you are resting when you're clearly exhausted!"

"Calm down." He attempted to keep his voice even. It only seemed to enrage him further, he gripped the back of the chair and Sasuke could hear the metal groaning beneath the padding. The excessive show of strength was more likely from Kyuubi's chakra leaking than Naruto's lack of control.

"No, I have the right to be angry! You can't just put yourself and the baby in danger and act like it's no big deal!" Swinging his legs over the chair, Sasuke crowded the blonde's personal space, forcing him to let go of the chair and to take a step back. A growl erupted from his throat but Naruto didn't seem to realize he was making the sound as he continued to glare at the pregnant male.

"I understand that but you need to calm down." Sasuke persisted. Reaching out, the dark haired male wrapped his fingers around the blonde's hip. He tried to ground Naruto with his touch but the blonde's growling grew louder.

"Why?" Naruto hissed. Slipping his hand under the blonde's shirt, he brushed his thumb across the warm skin of a hip and kept his face expression neutral.

"Kyuubi's chakra is leaking." The growling immediately stopped and barely a second later, Naruto was stepping away. Frowning, Sasuke watched him back up until he was flush against the wall, leaning against the table with a look of abject horror. "Naruto." Sasuke dropped his hand to the exam chair, watching his reaction with concern.

"I'm sorry." The blonde blurted out. Naruto seemed to stop breathing, the ring of red around his eyes fading back to his normal bright blue. Sasuke let out a sigh of relief and struggled to stand, the muscles in his lower back protesting at the awkward angle.

"You should have told me you were worried." The Uchiha grunted as he straightened, his very rotund stomach sticking out from his normally thin frame. Naruto stiffened where he stood, his gaze focused on the Uchiha's middle. Frowning, the dark haired male watched Naruto cautiously regard him before sliding closer to the door.

"I should leave." Naruto muttered. A dark feeling surged in Sasuke's chest and he stepped forward, his stomach bumping into the blonde's hip. He had expected Naruto to back away; careful of the little passenger but what caught him by surprise was the expression of alarm, the fear on the blonde's face. Thinking of the last few minutes of their conversation, it barely took a second for Sasuke to realize what conclusions Naruto had come to in his own mind.

"No, take a minute and relax." Sasuke moved to block the blonde's path to the door. Now the only way around him was stepping over the exam chair and if Naruto broke down and attempted it, the Uchiha could probably move fast enough to block him again.

"It's not safe, not with Kyuubi's chakra leaking." The blonde voiced the very fear Sasuke had expected it to be. Now, the dark haired male had to disabuse his husband of the notion.

"You're overreacting." Sasuke told him calmly. "It happens when you're angry." From the way the blonde cringed, the Uchiha could imagine he was feeling guilty from his previous outburst.

"So I just need to, what? Not get mad?" Naruto laughed nervously. He glanced toward the door again and when Sasuke reached out to the blonde's hand and watched him flinch. The pregnant male ignored it and forced his hand into Naruto's, squeezing it tightly.

"Or overly emotional, probably." Sasuke meant it to come off as a joke but Naruto's lips didn't even twitch upwards in an attempt at a smile.

"I could hurt you." He pointed out in a soft voice. The Uchiha let out a soft exhale of breath and stepped back, leaning to sit down in the exam chair again. Refusing to let go of the blonde's hand, he forced Naruto to step closer. His posture was rigid and unwilling but Sasuke took it as a good sign when he didn't pull away or look towards the door again.

"Or you could kill me. Either way, I'm not scared." Sasuke tilted his head back. He let his body relax into the slightly reclined exam chair, Naruto's hand still tightly entrapped by his own.

"You should be." Naruto muttered bitterly. Raising an eyebrow, the dark haired male pulled on the blonde's hand, forcing him to take a step closer. Easing his grip, Sasuke manipulated the calloused hand until he was gently gripping the tan wrist.

"You don't seem worried that I could do just as much damage to you," Naruto's eyes widened as he realized, too late, what the position of the grip meant. Sasuke rolled his wrist with an efficient flick, forcing the blonde's arm to twist inwardly. "Or do you think that just because I'm pregnant I'm incapable of violence?"

Leaning forward, he raised his arm, forcing the stiffening limb in his grip to arch in an unnatural angle. Naruto reacted almost unconsciously, turning his body with the movements so that his back was towards the Uchiha. The movement lessened the strain on the blonde's shoulder but if Sasuke continued to lift the blonde's arm up, he would either force Naruto to the floor or pop his shoulder out of its socket. It was a defensive move; Sasuke remembered learning it in the academy as a secondary attempt when an attacker's grip was loose enough to break it.

"I don't-" Naruto started to explain. The Uchiha lifted the blonde's arm higher and his breath hitched, the attempt to speak effectively paused. Holding the position, Sasuke watched his blonde bend his knees, attempting to release some of the tension. Naruto could easily break it if he wished, there were several maneuvers that came to mind but he didn't use any of them. As Sasuke expected, the blonde was being overly careful with his actions, tiptoeing around the Uchiha as if he would break under even the smallest amount of duress.

"You know what I'm capable of, even without chakra or my Sharingan. I can protect myself if you lose control." The Uchiha told him in a soft voice.

"You shouldn't have to!" Naruto snapped. He wrenched away from the defensive grip, Sasuke could see the muscles in the blonde's arm straining before he let go and heard a loud popping sound. Turning around, Naruto looked to Sasuke, his expression conflicted. "I never want to hurt you." The Uchiha expected to see the blonde's shoulder dislocated but it didn't look to popped out of its socket.

"You've made that perfectly clear the last few days." Sasuke shot back without any bite. The blonde made a sour face, his nose scrunching unattractively.

"I-" Naruto started. The blonde glanced up, his bright blue eyes filled to the brim with a multitude of emotions, regret, sadness, something akin to fear. "I know you're not made of glass but you're not invincible either." Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke watched him flinch, as if he was expecting a blow. Reaching out, the pregnant male gripped the black cloth of his shirt, tugging him closer.

"You have a point." The Uchiha muttered. He dropped his gaze down to the blonde's midsection, his other hand wrapping around a tan hip. Naruto stepped forward, standing between the Uchiha's legs and his head tilted down to watch Sasuke. "We're both stubborn." The Uchiha leaned forward as far as he was able to, resting his forehead against the blonde's upper stomach.

"Tell me something Sakura hasn't." Naruto chuckled. A warm palm brushed against his cheek, fingers running through his hair. He closed his eyes and let Naruto's warmth and rhythmic movement of breathing comfort him.

"When do you move the seal training out of the compound?" Sasuke asked. His voice was muffled but the dark haired male was too comfortable to move just yet.

"Day after tomorrow." The blonde replied. Squeezing the hand in his own, Sasuke let his other hand wander across the skin of Naruto's back. His fingers tracing muscle and bone under unmarred skin.

"I'll be bored." Sasuke murmured. The hand in his hair slipped down to his neck, cupping his head in a comforting manner.

"Then I guess we'll have to get you some books and puzzles today before we head back." Naruto's voice was full of a grin. The Uchiha could feel the edges of his own lips quirking upwards in a small smile. Dropping his hand from the blonde's back, Sasuke lifted his head and let the blonde take a step back. "Come on, you shouldn't be on your feet for long." Sasuke wasn't surprised to see the grin on the blonde's face. Standing up, the dark haired male stretched the muscles in his back before easing himself toward the door.

"Fine. When we get home, we can both take a nap." The Uchiha replied. He grabbed their coats, handing the blonde his and opened the door to the room.

"I don't need a nap." Naruto told him pointedly. Sasuke looked back to see the blonde was pouting as he straightened the front of his coat. Staying close to the edge of the hallway, the pregnant male buttoned his coat and raised an eyebrow at his blonde.

"Neither do I." The Uchiha let his facial muscles form a half-hearted frown. He watched Naruto begin to walk, zipping up his orange jacket while attempting to not run into anyone. Following him, Sasuke wrapped his fingers around the blonde's elbow, pulling him away from the middle of the hallway.

"Well, this sucks. I'm sure we can think of something that'll make us tired enough for a nap." Naruto replied cheerfully. He pulled the zipper of his jacket up to his neck and winked when their eyes met. Letting the frown drop, Sasuke let his facial muscles morph into a cool mask of indifference he used to nod at a passing group or nurses, squeezing his husband's elbow in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No idea when I'll be posting the next chapter, I need to finish the chapter draft I'm working on first.


	39. Fried Chicken & Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've having issues with FF.net as of today. I tried uploading the chapter and it's been giving me a blank page for ages. When it's working again I'll post the chapter there, until then, it's just on AO3.
> 
> Note: Christmas, while celebrated in Japan, is not considered a religious holiday (it’s a romantic one). They also eat fried chicken as a special meal on Christmas Eve.
> 
> Real Life Note: I had a minor concussion and had some focus issues when I was writing this. If there are any inconsistencies or glaring mistakes in the last scene I apologize in advance.

**December twenty-fourth, the thirty-third week,**

The house was quiet; Naruto was out of the village with Yamato, Kakashi, and Kyoko, testing out the containment field. Sasuke had been in bed for most of the day, reading through several scrolls on battle tactics and a book on Konoha History that Iruka had given him. Now, he was draped over the couch, several pillows propping him and his cumbersome middle up. Sakura had come over after her shift at the hospital and persuaded him to start a six hundred-piece puzzle with the promise that Iruka would be visiting after his students left the academy.

“What’s wrong with your hand?” Sakura asked. The dark haired male looked up from the mess of puzzle pieces on the coffee table to see that his pink haired friend had given up on it to read a book. By the picture of a pregnant woman on the cover, it wasn’t hard to figure out what she was reading. When he looked up from the book’s cover, green eyes met his. “You keep clenching your hand into fists and rolling your wrist.”

“It feels numb.” He responded. Looking down again, Sasuke set a jigsaw piece into place before flexing his fingers in an attempt to work out the numbness. Sakura frowned and set her book down on the edge of the table.

“Just your left hand? For how long?” She asked. Leaning forward, she reached out for his hand and he met her halfway over the table. Sakura handled his wrist carefully, prodding and pressing his palm and wrist.

“A few minutes.” Sasuke answered. He winced when she pressed firmly on his wrist and his fingers starting to tingle as the feeling began to come back. Inhaling softly, the dark haired male wanted to roll his wrist but forced himself to remain still.

“Have they’ve ever tingled or felt painful, like an ache?” His pink haired friend glanced up to gage Sasuke’s expression. He could see her hands begin to glow green with chakra as she began to prod his hand and wrist again. “Can you move your fingers for me?” She asked. Sasuke forced his fingers to curl into a fist and then stretched them out again, the pins and needles feeling increasing to the point of uncomfortable.

“I’ve woken up with it tingling a few times. The feeling is coming back.” He explained. Sakura let go and he gripped his wrist with his other hand, moving his fingers rapidly to force the nerves in his hands to ‘wake up’.

“Sounds like carpal tunnel syndrome, the tissues in your wrists are retaining a little fluid. I can get you a brace to wear at night.” Looking up, Sasuke dropped his hands into his lap, pressing them against the rotund curve of his abdomen. If he were developing carpal tunnel, how would he be able to throw a kunai or to fight?

“Is it permanent?” His voice came out level but Sakura’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, having read whatever micro-expression he couldn’t hide from her. The studying look was gone after a second and she relaxed her posture, picking her book back up.

“You’ll probably have it for the rest of your pregnancy and a few weeks after the baby’s born but no, it shouldn’t be permanent.” She glanced to her book but Sasuke knew she was watching him from the corner of her eyes. The Uchiha sighed in relief, losing his ability to fight was one less thing he had to worry about. Though, it would still be months before he would be in any shape to go on a mission and even then, would he be able to leave the little passenger? He looked down at the puzzle, looking for a matching piece without even thinking about, too focused on his thoughts. By then, the little passenger would be months old and they would know if it was a girl or boy. “Something on your mind?” Sakura spoke up again.

Her voice broke through the Uchiha’s thoughts and he clenched his hand into a fist again, a majority of feeling having returned and the pins and needles feeling had faded. Picking up a piece, he placed it neatly in it’s slot, bringing him one step out of six hundred closer to completing the picture of the Hokage Rock before looking back to Sakura. “The baby is due in less than two months and we still haven’t figured out names.” Sakura tilted her head without looking up from her book, her eyes moving consistently with reading. They hadn’t narrowed down the list of baby names because Sasuke rarely found himself in the same room with his husband for long.

“What have you narrowed the list down to?” Sakura asked. She glanced up from her book, most likely debating if the conversation would last long enough to warrant putting it down. Sasuke leaned forward to sit up, dropping his feet to the floor and shifting his weight off his side. It took him a few seconds to get settled again and Sakura had reached for her bookmark, her gaze focused on the half finished puzzle on the coffee table in front of him.

“If we have a boy, Minato, Ren, Haku, and Itachi.” Sasuke listed them off. His pink haired friend stopped moving at the sound of his brother’s name. Slowly, almost carefully Sakura lifted her gaze to his. A sharp edge of something Sasuke couldn’t label in her bright green eyes.

“And if she’s a girl?” She asked. It seemed like whatever the pink haired woman was thinking, she wasn’t inclined to share it. The Uchiha tapped his fingers against his round middle, the baby had hardly moved in response to his transition to an upright position. His little passenger was probably sleeping for the moment.

“Haku, Kushina, Mikoto, and Mei. Naruto really likes the idea of Haku if she’s a girl.” Sasuke focused his attention back to the puzzle in front of him, picking up another piece of greenery and fitting it in place with little effort. Instead of replying immediately, Sakura picked up another piece of the puzzle and set it in place. Her fingers tracing over the puzzle pieces thoughtfully before she pulled her hand back.

“I think you should talk it over some more. There’s still time before you have to decide.” Sakura explained in a neutral voice. Whatever her opinion was, Sasuke was glad she wasn’t willing to share it. Even though she was his friend, the decision of picking a name for his child was between him and Naruto.

“I’d rather know now than trying to think of a name after the baby is born.” Sasuke subtly shifted the topic of conversation.

“Well, sometimes the name that you pick out doesn’t fit.” Sakura shot back. She set her book down and raised a knee up to her chest, leaning forward to view the disgruntled Uchiha.

“What does that even mean?” The dark haired male grumbled. Opening her mouth to respond, Sakura paused at the sound of someone opening the front door. Listening attentively, Sasuke could hear the creaking of the door opening, the gust of cold air blowing into the heated house. The loud rustling of a winter coat blocked any other faint sounds the pregnant male tried to discern and he frowned.

“Sasuke?” Iruka’s voice questioned from the entryway. He could hear the front door closing and shoes being toed off, the noises of the coat no longer the loudest sound. Even if he couldn’t train his body physically, he could still keep certain skills honed as best he could.

“We’re in here, Iruka-sensei.” Sakura called out. She leaned back in her seated position, craning her neck to try to get a glimpse of the older man. Placing together several pieces in quick succession, Sasuke heard the coat being hung and the teacher’s soft footfalls, he was wearing socks, come closer. The dark haired male looked up from the puzzle pieces to see Iruka poke his head into the room.

“Sorry for the intrusion.” Iruka stepped into the room, smiling kindly at the sight of Sasuke on the couch, a puzzle on the coffee table and Sakura sitting on the floor across from him. The brown haired male unzipped his green vest, shrugging it off and folding it in his hands.

“It’s no problem, sensei.” Sasuke watched him walk around Sakura, taking a seat in the chair set up next the couch, angled at the coffee table. He set his vest over the arm, looking between his old students, as he got comfortable.

“We were just discussing what Sasuke should do if the baby name they pick out doesn’t fit.” Sakura spoke up. The dark haired male looked down to the puzzle, seeing the pieces and mentally setting them into place.

“Oh?” Iruka leaned forward. Sasuke reached out to place the pieces inside the puzzle, his gaze flicking up to Sakura.

“That doesn’t make sense.” He pointed out. The pink haired woman rolled her eyes, tapping her hand against the wooden coffee table.

“It doesn’t have to make sense, if it doesn’t fit you’ll have to figure out a new name.” She explained. Slotting a cluster of five pieces into the middle of the puzzle, the pregnant male surveyed the second Hokage’s face and raised an eyebrow.

“That’s why we’re picking out a name before.” Sasuke glanced at the few dozen pieces left. It would take him less than ten minutes to finish this puzzle. It had been a decent distraction but he’d probably have to crack open one of the thousand-piece puzzles next.

“It may be different, when you see your child.” Iruka spoke up. Sasuke tilted his head to him as he smiled between his two old students. “When your looking at your child for the first time with the name you picked out. It may not feel right.” The brown haired man tilted his head with a small smile and Sasuke looked down again. What would it feel like; to hold his child in his hands and know that the name that he and Naruto choose is wrong? How would he know?

“I agree with Iruka.” Sakura added smugly. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her and the pink haired woman grinned right back. Tapping his fingers against the coffee table, the dark haired male held back a smart retort.

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” The dark haired male responded. His pink haired friend raised an eyebrow at the concession but turned her attention to Iruka.

“How was your day, Iruka-sensei?” She asked the older man. Sasuke returned his attention to the puzzle, picking up piece after piece and connecting them to larger picture. He was down to the two-dozen pieces that remained; he already knew where they went. It was just a matter of setting them in place.

“It was good, we exchanged presents. The children were excited.” Iruka explained happily.

“You still do that? That’s so nice.” Sakura slapped her hand against the cover of her book. Sasuke reached for another piece, it completed half of the puzzle and the other half was still missing a small cluster, plus a few random pieces of greenery.

“It never really gets old. I get a new class of students every year.” The teacher explained. Sasuke went for the random pieces of greenery first, he got most of them to fit on the first try and the cluster would barely challenge him. “It’s always been fun, even explaining the fried chicken.”

“Speaking of, Naruto will be back soon. Hopefully he’ll have remembered to get some chicken before they’re sold out.” Sakura sighed. Sasuke’s fingers stilled mid-reach for a puzzle piece, something that both the pink haired woman and brown haired man froze seconds after he did.

“Chicken?” The pregnant male asked. He flicked his eyes upward to Sakura and tilted his head to the right. The green-eyed women raised an eyebrow, smiling back at him.

“We’re making fried chicken tonight, didn’t your husband tell you?” Sakura asked.

“He didn’t.” The dark haired male shook his head. He tapped his pointer finger against the puzzle and wondered how Naruto could have forgotten to tell him that they were celebrating Christmas Eve with everyone. What he was thinking must have shown in his expression to some extent because Sakura’s expression changed slightly.

“I guess he forgot?” She shrugged her shoulders. Iruka watched the interaction, fiddling with his hands in his lap.

“He’s been busy lately.” Sasuke replied. He reached for another puzzle piece and slotted it into place. “We’ve been focused more on getting ready for the baby.” The pregnant male reached for the last few pieces, placing them one right after the other until the picture was complete, the Hokage monument staring back at him in it’s completed puzzle form.

“Kakashi has been busy too.” Iruka spoke up again. He sighed and raised his hands to his ponytail, tightening it. “I didn’t think it was possible to spend any more time than they were before working on Apricot’s seal. I guess it doesn’t help that they’re no longer in the compound.” The brown haired male shrugged his shoulders and looked between his once-students. Sakura leaned forward, setting her elbow on the coffee table to rest her cheek against the palm of her hand.

“I’m a little worried about Naruto. He’s stretching himself thin with both the seal and the baby.” She sighed and looked down at the completed puzzle. Sasuke shifted, leaning back against the pillows propped up against the armrest.

“He wants to finish the seal before the baby is born.” The pregnant male explained as he shifted awkwardly. It was hard to find a comfortable position without nearly falling off the couch.

“That’s a tight timeline, isn’t it?” Iruka pointed out. The dark haired male was frowning, obviously concerned.

“Five weeks, a little more than that.” Sakura responded. She tilted her head, her chin still resting in the palm of her hand as she surveyed the older man’s expression.

“Something like this, it could take years to get right.” Iruka clasped his hands together; he looked down at them anxiously before looking to Sasuke. “Aren’t you worried that they’ll get something wrong?” The Uchiha’s initial reaction was to snap at the older man, they wouldn’t make a mistake because he had done all the research behind the seals they were testing. Letting that initial rage dissipate, Sasuke attempted to rationalize it, thinking of the position Iruka was in, not knowing just how much effort he, along with Kakashi, Yamato, Naruto, and Apricot had been putting into this task.

“Luckily they didn’t start from scratch. They only need to add another layer instead of creating an entire new seal.” Sakura replied before Sasuke could formulate a response. She smiled at Sasuke who raised an eyebrow at her in response. Was he really getting that bad at hiding what he was thinking or did his old teammate know him too well?

“But they’ve only been testing seals for a month.” Iruka persisted. He was concerned; it was easy to see in his posture and facial expression. The thought of Kyuubi escaping was real for the older man, he had lived through it and Sasuke could only imagine the kind of fear that instilled.

“There were three of us working on the seals until last week,” Sasuke started thoughtfully. He respected his old teacher and tried phrase it without snapping at him. “We were working at an accelerated rate and even now, they’re still working from early morning until well after dark.” Iruka nodded at the explanation but still looked anxious on the topic. No doubt he’d be having a talk with Kakashi about it when he got home tonight.

“It’s taking a lot out of everyone, which brings me back to Naruto, he’s got that on top of a baby coming.” Sakura piped up. “How is he handling the stress?” She asked. Sasuke thought about the question for a second.

“He sleeps.” The Uchiha sighed. He stretched his legs out, feeling his calf muscles strain at the movement. Sakura frowned and straightened her spine, folding her arms across her chest. Sasuke had seen her go into medic mode more times that he could count and he wasn’t surprised to see her go into it once again.

“Care to elaborate?” The pink haired woman asked. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Sasuke like he was the one she was trying to figure out. It made the pregnant male want to cross his eyes or at least flip the middle finger at her.

“We stopped going to Baby Basics because I’m not allowed to walk that far.” Sasuke set a hand on his middle, pausing to think of what else had happened in the past week. “All he does now is go work on the seal, when he comes home, he stays awake long enough to eat something before crashing.”

“Kakashi’s the same way.” Iruka spoke up quietly. He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. “Sometimes I don’t even know if he comes home, I fall asleep before he gets back and he’s gone before I wake up.” Sakura’s expression had gone from analytical medic to concerned friend when the Uchiha explained his Naruto’s behavior and her frown only deepened when Iruka pointed out that Kakashi was behaving similarly.

“This isn’t healthy, and I doubt Yamato and Apricot are doing any better. They’re working too hard.” She murmured. The last bit sounded like she was talking to herself, her attention seemingly focused elsewhere. Sasuke glanced to Iruka, sharing a mutual of look of cautious relief. If Kakashi was anywhere near as stubborn as Naruto, any attempt to get him to take a day off was brushed off with the excuse of there being too much to do. But, if Sakura wanted to try getting them to take a day off, she was welcome to try. “It’s getting late, are we sure they’re coming back in time for dinner?”

“They better be.” Sasuke grumbled. “Especially if they’re bringing dinner.”

“I told them to be back before the sun set. They should be getting home any minute now.” Sakura barely glanced up, her mind still elsewhere.

“Are you hungry, Sasuke?” Iruka asked. Tapping his fingers against his stomach, Sasuke sighed.

“If you offer me another apple, I’ll throw it at your head.” Sasuke looked pointedly at the pink haired woman. Sakura looked and made a face at him.

“Someone’s grouchy.” Sakura murmured. Sasuke heard the front door open and his eyes flicked in the direction of it.

“I’m home!” Naruto’s voice broke the near silence, followed by the clattering of over half a dozen shoes being taken off. There was the rustling of plastic and paper.

“Finally.” Sakura muttered under her breath. Sasuke tilted his head in agreement as he heard the door shut and several people started shuffling away from the front door and closer to them.

“Welcome back.” Sasuke said loud enough for everyone to hear him. Naruto poked his head in first, before holding up a plastic bag in offering. The red eyes shouldn’t have surprised him, with all the time the blonde was spending with Apricot; her seal had to have been weakening exponentially. From the way Naruto’s eyes widened, he had seen Sasuke’s surprise.

“Before you ask, I remembered the chicken!” The blonde told them happily. Naruto smiled at Iruka and Sakura, his gaze slowly returning to the pregnant male cautiously. Schooling his features, the dark haired male motioned for Naruto to come closer. He walked into the room, Kakashi and Yamato following him. “We got cake too, and strawberries.”

“Dessert? We really are in for a treat.” Iruka clapped his hands against his knees and stood up. Naruto ignored Sasuke’s request, moving toward the kitchen instead. If anyone noticed, they didn’t comment. Apricot quietly stepped into the room, Sasuke barely noticed her until she moved to follow Naruto. She was getting better in stealth, he would have to remember to tell so and ask what else she had improved on recently.

“If someone else wouldn’t mind cooking, I could seriously use a break.” Yamato made his way quickly to the chair Iruka had just vacated, looking relieved when he collapsed into it.

“Worked hard today?” Sakura asked the older male. She moved to stand, stretching her arms over her head. Kakashi and Iruka moved into the kitchen and Naruto moved to follow them. The Uchiha shifted his gaze, feeling guilty and uncomfortable simultaneously.

“More like everyday.” Yamato hummed. Sakura looked around, surprised that people were already disappearing into the kitchen.

“Oi! Get back in here!” Sakura called out. The sound of bags being set down followed Naruto coming back into the room, Kakashi leaning in the door frame, practically sagging against it as Iruka stood behind him. Iruka seemed to be more focused on Kakashi, watching him carefully.

“Sakura-chan, come on! We’ve hungry and I bought chicken just like you asked!” Naruto whined. The pink haired woman ignored him, pointing to the blonde, then Kakashi, Apricot, and Yamato each.

“You all are taking a day off tomorrow, no excuses.” She stated. Sasuke watched the way Naruto’s expression fell, how Kakashi didn’t even seem to react, and the way Yamato slouched even further into the chair.

“Okay.” Kakashi responded almost immediately. He raised his head a little higher, eyes settling on Iruka.

“Sounds good to me.” Yamato gave the pink haired woman the thumbs up tiredly. Naruto looked between the two with his blood red eyes, older men, mouth open as if he were about to protest.

“Thank you,” Apricot sighed loudly. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.” She walked over to the coffee table and collapsed next to it, folding her arms over it before setting her head down on top of them.

“But-“ The blonde began. He opened his mouth and when he couldn’t think of anything to say, he shut it again.

“You’ve been outvoted, Naruto.” Sakura hummed. She seemed satisfied with herself and turned, giving Sasuke a smug look.

“Are we going to fry this chicken or are we just going to stand here all night?” Kakashi sighed. Sasuke shifted, he could feel the baby moving, just small squirming. The little passenger must have woken from their nap.

“No, give the chicken here.” Iruka answered as he moved back into the kitchen. Naruto tried to follow him but Sakura stepped in front of him, pushing him back.

“What?” The blonde asked. Sakura raised an eyebrow, twisting her expression into one that had meaning behind it. It put the dark haired male on edge, knowing she was communicating about him.

“Too many cooks in the kitchen and all that. I think Sasuke could use some help clearing that puzzle away and starting a new one.” Sakura said out loud. Even that was laced with an underlying meaning. The pink haired woman disappeared into the kitchen and Naruto slowly turned and awkwardly made his way to the coffee table.

“You finished that one already? You hadn’t even started it this morning.” Naruto chuckled. Sasuke looked to the puzzle as Naruto kneeled down in front of the coffee table. He was careful to avoid touching Apricot and picked up the box. “Do you want to keep it on piece?”

“No.” The Uchiha responded. He swung his legs off the couch and moved to stand. “I’ll get the next puzzle.” Apricot hummed noncommittally and Yamato grunted out a wordless sound. Sasuke watched as the brown haired male shook his head and motioned for him to remain seated.

“Sit down, I’ll get it.” Yamato sighed. He stood up slowly, moving in a way that clearly indicated physical exhaustion. The dark haired male narrowed his eyes but remained in his seat as the older male moved past him.

“They’re in the hallway closet, pick one of the 1,000 piece puzzles.” Sasuke called out. Yamato lifted his hand in a half formed gesture as he disappeared down the hallway. Naruto had picked up the puzzle box and was breaking apart the completed puzzle.

“We saw some pretty neat light displays on our way back today.” The blonde spoke up conversationally. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wondering why he was bringing light displays up. A year ago, Naruto had gotten permission from the Hokage to let Sasuke out on Christmas Eve. They had walked around the village, looking at the different light displays. It had been nice, even if he had been wearing chakra-dampening cuffs and constantly supervised by a guard of anbu.

“And a ton of people, they were all couples.” Apricot pointed out. She shifted away from the coffee table, scooting back towards the wall. Naruto let out a huff of breath that was meant to be laugh as Yamato walked back into the room. He set the box on a clean space on the coffee table and dropped back into the chair.

“That’s how it’s supposed to be.” Sasuke pointed out. Looking to his husband, the pregnant male waited for Naruto to look to him and then held his gaze. Was Naruto remembering that night a year ago? The blonde’s blood red eyes met his for a solid three seconds before he looked away again, focused on putting away the rest of the puzzle.

The pit of his stomach had a knot in it. He didn’t like this. Ever since Kyuubi’s chakra started leaking, the blonde had been, the only word that came to mind that accurately described it, absent. He was hardly ever home, barely let himself be touched when he was around, and tiptoed around the Uchiha every second they were together. Naruto seemed to spend every minute he was with Sasuke controlling his every thought and action. Sasuke knew it was out of fear, fear that he would accidentally let out Kyuubi’s chakra, fear that he would hurt Sasuke, fear that he would hurt their baby.

Even knowing why Naruto was doing it didn’t make him feel any better about it.

“Why is Christmas Eve a couple’s holiday?” Apricot asked. She seemed genuinely curious as she sat in the doorway to watch whatever was happening in the kitchen.

“No idea.” Sasuke answered. Naruto flipped the lid on the box closed and set it underneath the coffee table. He reached for the new box and looked at the picture on the lid.

“This one looks hard, it’s all scenery.” The blonde murmured to himself.

“That’s why I picked it out.” Sasuke told him. He leaned forward as Naruto opened the box and began dumping out the one thousand pieces.

“How long are you going to stay tonight, Apricot?” Yamato interrupted the stunted conversation.

“I at least want to eat.” The redheaded girl answered. “Fried chicken sounds really good right now.” Yamato hummed in agreement and all the dark haired male could think about was the way Naruto had held his hand as they stood in front of a building decorated in multi-colored lights. Reaching out, Sasuke ran his fingers over the small pieces of cardboard before brushing his hand against Naruto’s. He watched the blonde freeze, fear over what he could do paralyzing him. It hurt more than he thought it would when the blonde retracted his hand and avoided making eye contact.

“Don’t stay too long after, we don’t want your seal to weaken unnecessarily.” Yamato pointed at the younger girl. Apricot nodded and both she and the older male were either pointedly ignoring what was happening between Sasuke and Naruto or were oblivious to it.

“I got it.” The redhead replied pointedly. Sasuke could hear Sakura and Iruka talking quietly in the kitchen; Kakashi had probably sat down at the table and fallen asleep. Of course Naruto was the only one stubborn enough to hide his tiredness from the Uchiha.

“What are you going to do tomorrow, Yamato?” Sasuke spread out the puzzle pieces, flipping over ones that were upside down and refused to acknowledge that the blonde was carefully moving his hands, making sure they didn’t touch on accident.

“Sleep, for one thing.” Yamato stated. “If I could sleep all day tomorrow, I would.” Apricot hummed with a nod of her head in response. Sasuke could hear the sound of something frying in the kitchen over the sound of soft voices.

“You, Naruto?” The redheaded girl looked to the blonde and Sasuke focused on searching for corner pieces of the puzzle.

“Sleeping in wouldn’t be too bad,” Naruto answered tentatively. He glanced up again and found Naruto looking at him. Before he good show a tentative smile, the blonde looked away and the almost-pain his gut seemed to get worse.

 _He’s avoiding me._ Was all Sasuke could think as he picked through puzzle pieces.

* * *

**December twenty-fifth, still the thirty-third week,**

_Cold. Feeling the cold came first, at the tips of his fingers and then his toes. The darkened room swam into focus, a small, barely furnished living room of an apartment. Sun was setting, casting shadows through the windows when there had been none before. He was sitting on a lumpy old couch; the thing had been designated as his bed but it was likely he’d be sleeping on the floor sooner or later. Sasuke looked down to the hands in his lap, his wrists cuffed and chained together until Kakashi returned and decided to take the chains off. This was day one free from isolation but Sasuke didn’t see the difference._

_The hand on his bare shoulder caught him off guard, not a brush of fingers but a warm, squeezing grip. It was the first solid touch the Uchiha had felt in weeks and he hadn’t been expecting it, or his own reaction. Jerking away, Sasuke whipped his head to the side and found Naruto Uzumaki kneeling next to him. He hadn’t heard him come in, hadn’t heard him get right fucking next to him. How messed up was he?_

_“Shit, you’re freezing!” Naruto hissed out. The blonde seemed completely oblivious to Sasuke’s reaction as he stood up and darted around the couch, leaving the dark haired male on his own. His heart was hammering in his chest; everything seemed to come into focus, louder, brighter. Adrenaline always did wonders. “How could Kakashi leave you like this? You’re only wearing underwear.” He called out. His adrenaline spiked again, his head beginning to pound with the sudden change in blood pressure._

_Craning his neck, Sasuke peered around the small apartment and watched his old teammate come out of Kakashi’s bedroom. Two blankets in hand, the blonde came back to the couch. He dropped one blanket on the couch to drape the other across the handcuffed male’s shoulders. Sitting down on the couch, Naruto adjusted the blanket, running his hands down newly covered arms. The touch was, Sasuke couldn’t put a name to it, couldn’t think past the barrage of emotions bubbling in his chest._

_“How long were you sitting here without heat, huh?” His voice was soft, comforting. It made Sasuke want to vomit._

_“What are you doing here?” The Uchiha rasped. His voice cracked from lack of use and dehydration._

_“I’m here to see you,” Naruto answered. His impossibly blue eyes seemed to stare right at his soul when their eyes met. “They wouldn’t let me back in isolation.” The blonde huffed a quiet laugh and grabbed the second blanket. Setting it over Sasuke’s lap and bound hands, Naruto busied himself with tucking it under thin, pale legs._

_“Why are you here?” Sasuke tried again. His voice caught in his throat and he coughed to try to clear it. The Uchiha raised his hands, dislodging the blanket and leaned away from his old teammate. Naruto was tucking in the blanket back the moment he stilled. He tried to shove those warm, tan hands away but stubbornness was ingrained in the idiot. They fought for a few seconds, which was all it took for the Uchiha to tire out. He dropped his hands back into his lap with an indignant sigh, arms shaking and shoulders aching. Glaring, the Uchiha watched Naruto grin victoriously and clasp their hands together._

_“I love you.” Naruto stated. There was something in his voice that made the dark haired male’s stomach roil into a nauseating swill._

_“Stop.” His voice caught in his throat and he coughed, trying to clear it. “Stop saying that.” Sasuke croaked out. The memory of what had happened in isolation surfaced, sent a shiver down his spine and a twinge in his chest. Naruto tilted his head and gave him a soft smile._

_“What? That I’m in love with-“ He tried repeating it, something the Uchiha couldn’t stand to hear._

_“Stop saying that!” Voice cracking again, Sasuke jerked his hands out of Naruto’s grasp. The chains on his cuffs rattled as he turned away from the blonde._

_“Hey, calm down.” Naruto gripped his elbow gently. It stopped the dark haired male from standing up, left him trapped in the blonde’s clutches. His chest was constricting again and he could hear himself breathing loudly through his nose._

_“I killed my own brother!” He shouted hoarsely. Sasuke tried pulling free but the grip on his arm tightened._

_“Listen to me,” Naruto tried to placate him. The Uchiha couldn’t do it. Naruto had been his teammate, had been the voice of reason when he first left and had ultimately been right. He should never have left Konoha. It was getting harder to breath as the other male manhandled him by his arms roughly. His vision was darkening and through the haze of turmoil he recognized that he was on the verge of passing out. “Teme? Hey, look at me!” The blonde genin shouted. It shocked the Uchiha out of his spiraling mental state and he sucked in air through his mouth noisily._

_“Something is wrong with me.” Sasuke gasps out when he finds his voice. At the admission, Naruto’s expression morphs into something akin to confusion and worry. The dark haired male can feel the grip on his shoulders loosening as the blonde scoots impossibly closer. Wherever their bodies touched, heat seared across his flesh and sent goosebumps prickling across his arms. Something had to be wrong with him. For something as simple as being touched to affect him like this._

_“Isolation messes with your head. Nothing is wrong with you. Not really.” The blonde state adamantly. Sasuke stares into unearthly bright blue eyes in the growing darkness and wants to believe him. He can’t though, not after everything he’s seen and done. Those two and a half years with Orochimaru, chasing down his brother and murdering him. Looking away from the azure gaze, Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek, fists clenching weakly._

_“You don’t know what I am.” The Uchiha mumbled._

_“Do you not remember?” Naruto blurted out. His old teammate stood up and loomed over the dark haired male. “You told me all of it on our way back to the village. I know what your brother did for you.” Not knowing what to say, Sasuke remained silent. He had been weak and delirious from his injuries, the blood loss and fever, from the shocking realization of the lie his life-long mission had been. The blonde was silent as the dark haired male tried to relive the few solid memories of those days that felt like a lifetime ago. There was a shift and from the corner of his eye, he could see Naruto kneeling down next to him._

_“I’m here for you, Sasuke.” He set a hand down on Sasuke’s bony, blanket-covered knee and gave another small smile. It made the dark haired male’s stomach flip and he purposefully looked away. Ghost sensations of being pressed into Naruto’s back as he was carried, their knees knocking against each other and arms wrapped around him when the blonde had squeezed them both into his sleeping bag. The closest he had physically been with someone in years and he hadn’t had much physical contact since. What Naruto had left unspoken hovered in the air; forming a tension Sasuke doesn’t know how to handle._

_“Don’t say it.” The Uchiha growled half-heartedly._

_“I won’t.” With a laugh, Naruto rubbed his thumbs against his blanketed knee before standing up again. “Have you eaten, or had anything to drink?” The blonde asked. Sasuke heard his old teammate move through the apartment, choosing to remain where he had been sitting for hours and watched a light being turned on in the small kitchen behind him._

_“Hn.” He replied quietly. There was more rustling, the sound of the tap turned and water pouring into a container. Shifting, Sasuke turned his head and blinked rapidly as his eyes began to adjust to the artificial light. Naruto’s form moved around the kitchen, returning to the couch with a glass of water. Holding it out, the blonde waited patiently for the Uchiha to take it. His attempt to raise his hands left them trembling, proof of how weak he had become in the past weeks. Unaffected by Sasuke’s weakness, the blonde set the cup in his hands before working the locks off of the chain that held his cuffs together. He set the chain of metal links aside and watched the dark haired male slowly lift the cup of water to his lips._

_“I’d take these off if I could.” Naruto said softly once the cup had touched Sasuke’s lips. He sipped at the room temperature water, immediately feeling the relief in his throat. The blonde touched the links of his handcuffs and reluctantly, he lowered the cup from his lips. Meeting Naruto’s ridiculously blue eyes, the dark haired male could see every intense emotion flitting across them. It didn’t make any sense, why his old teammate said the words, why he felt the way he said he felt._

_“You can’t.” Sasuke responded. Taking another slow drink, the Uchiha watched a grin flash across his old teammate’s face._

_“If I could.” The blonde repeated adamantly. Sasuke frowned and swallowed down the last of the water, his response on the tip of his tongue before he had the conscious thought to say it._

_“Idiot.” If it was possible, Naruto’s grin grew wider. Reaching for the cup, the blonde let his fingers drift over pale skin stretched across bone before gripping the plastic. His cell in isolation flashed before his eyes, the fake anbu, Naruto’s face covered in blood, the sound of human flesh being torn from bone ruthlessly rang in his ears. With his heart pounding against his ribcage, pumping adrenaline into his system, he shoved the cup and hand away. Sasuke can only watch as Naruto takes the cup, his grin becoming brittle and forced. He seems to come to a realization as the Uchiha tries to control the inner turmoil he feels from something as simple as physical contact._

_“I missed you.” The blonde’s gaze grew soft at the admission and Sasuke’s chest grew tight once again in response. “I know you’re hurting, what happened in isolation certainly didn’t help but you will get better.” His words echo in the Uchiha’s ears as his minds attempts to comprehend the meaning, still too worked up to think rationally. Whatever expression he shows as a reaction, Naruto responds to it, his tender expression replaced with a cheerful smile. “How about ramen?   I’m pretty sure Kakashi has a stash of the instant kind around here somewhere.” The blonde doesn’t touch him as he stands up and returns to the kitchen, something the Uchiha is uncomfortably grateful for._

“Good morning.” Naruto’s voice whispered. He opens his eyes in surprise, the memory fading as he took in his surroundings. Lying down on his side in bed, wrapped in blankets with the blonde sitting on the edge, Sasuke had been reliving the past in a dreamlike doze.

“Are you okay?” The blonde asked. His hand was carefully set against his Sasuke’s forehead and the Uchiha raised his hand out of his blanket nest to grab the hand. He stared Naruto down, those bright blue eyes watching him with affection.

“Come here.” Sasuke murmured. “I missed you.” The dark haired male gripped Naruto’s wrist just as he started to pull it away. The affectionate smile was still there but something in his eyes changed, the twinkle no longer there. He tightened his grip on Naruto’s wrist, tugging it closer.

“I’m right here.” The blonde laughed quietly. He started to stand up and the pregnant male reached out with his other hand, his thumb resting in the crook of Naruto’s elbow, fingers clutching at where his arm and forearm connected. Naruto’s laugh dissipated when the Uchiha didn’t smile back.

“Don’t leave.” Sasuke told him. He was done letting Naruto avoid him. The blonde’s mouth dropped open slightly, surprised at the serious tone he was using. A mirage of emotions surfaced across his face, slack-jawed surprise, guilt, nervousness, and then finally regret.

“Sasuke.” Naruto chided gently. He tried to pull his hand away, which Sasuke refused to let happen. Pulling almost roughly, the dark haired male watched the blonde lean closer, unwilling to yank his limb back. Naruto started to frown, his mouth closing as he tried to formulate a reason as to why he should leave. His main excuse wasn’t going to work today, Sakura had forced him, along with Kakashi, Yamato, and Kyoko to take today off.

“I need you to stay.” The dark haired male told him. Blue eyes met his and the Uchiha refused to look away. His husband was the first to look away, glancing down at his arm and then back to Sasuke’s face.

“Okay.” Naruto sighed. It was stuck sounding somewhere between defeated and relieved. Not trusting the blonde, he didn’t bother letting go. Huffing a soft breath of laughter, Naruto maneuvered himself on the bed and over the pregnant male. Sasuke shifted with him, lying on his side with his grip on the blonde’s wrist the entire time.

He watched Naruto burrow his feet under the blankets before shimmying his entire body down onto the bed. The blonde pulled from the Uchiha’s well-made nest of warmth and Sasuke let him, it was worth it to have him close enough to cuddle again. Naruto continued to shift, the hand in Sasuke’s grip moving this way and that but still, the pregnant male refused to let go. After what seemed to be half a minute of constant shuffling, twitching, and moving, the blonde found a comfortable position and was once again trying to tug his hand free.

“Why did you wake me?” Sasuke asked instead. He moved his own feet, pressing their legs and shins together and brought Naruto’s hand under the blankets.

“You were dreaming,” Naruto replied steadily. He reached with his free hand trying to free his wrist without prying Sasuke’s hand off. “You were so stiff, I thought it was a nightmare. Was it?” The blonde asked. They fought with their hands for a few more seconds; Sasuke let go but only to press their palms together, trying to intertwine their fingers.

“Not really.” Sasuke murmured. He moved closer, refusing to give the blonde any kind of space. Naruto tried to look uncomfortable but he wrapped an arm around the pregnant male’s waist and the tension in his shoulders had lessened. “I want to go see the containment area.” The Uchiha blurted out. He probably should have waited until Naruto was relaxed and dozing but this was something that had been on his mind for weeks.

“No.” The blonde responded immediately. Craning his head, the blonde glared at the pregnant male. “No way.” Sasuke glared back, bristling at being told no.

“You’re not going to stop me.” The Uchiha retorted. Naruto gave him an incredulous look, huffing in irritation.

“It’s miles from the village, there’s no way you can walk there.” The blonde pointed out. He was trying to hold back his anger but it was written in his body posture and the frown lines of his face.

“I’m doing it.” Sasuke stated with finality. Naruto sighed loudly and raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Walking several miles was out the question this far into the pregnancy but he had no intention of walking. He’d have to talk to Sakura sometime later in the day to ask for a favor.

* * *

**December twenty-sixth, still the thirty-third week,**

“I think it’s a bad idea.” Naruto pointed out for the tenth time in twenty-four hours. Pulling on his shoes with effort, Sasuke knew the blond had crossed his arms over his chest.

“I don’t care.” The Uchiha answered. He successfully put on his shoes without sitting down, reached for his jacket and pulled it on, all without looking to see his husband’s expression.

“Sasuke.” Naruto sighed. Sasuke rolled his eyes before pivoting around, meeting the blonde’s annoyed stare with an irritated glare of his own. “Walking out of the compound and through the village is unnecessary stress but if you think you’re going to walk all the way to the containment area you’re out of your mind.” The blonde stepped into his own shoes as he explained and Sasuke zipped his jacket pointedly over his rotund middle. Refusing to say anything in response, the pregnant male opened the front door and stopped in surprise, Kakashi was standing in front of him.

“At this point it’s more like waddling.” Kakashi pointed to the Uchiha’s stomach. The fact that he had at least heard the last of their conversation made Sasuke’s ears burn.

“Shut up.” Sasuke huffed. He stepped outside and did his best to walk straight, knowing he couldn’t stop himself from widening his gait to accommodate the soon-to-be person inside of him.

“It’s not your fault your middle is so large you can’t walk straight.” Kakashi told him with a glance to Naruto. He walked up to Yamato and stopped next to him, the brown haired male looking more rested than he had two days ago.

“That’s not nice.” Yamato spoke up. He inclined his head to Sasuke and the pregnant male nodded back.

“We doubled the perimeter guard today.” Kakashi told the dark haired male quietly. “There haven’t been any more sightings of your team Hebi but we thought it wouldn’t hurt.” The Uchiha nodded as he remembered the conversation he and Naruto had with Tsunade weeks before. He had almost forgotten about them, there hadn’t been any more news and the Uchiha had been busy with the baby and Kyuubi.

Shifting his weight, the dark haired male turned around, blinking in reaction to Naruto’s eyes bleeding red. The sound of wheels caught Sasuke’s attention and he turned his head in the direction of it. Apricot came into view pulling a rickshaw behind her. “What is that?” Naruto asked. He shut the front door and followed Kakashi out into the street.

“My ride.” Sasuke explained. Upon seeing the group of men, Apricot started to jog, tugging the rickshaw to speed up with her. The Uchiha smirked. “I didn’t say I was going to walk.” He mentioned. Kyoko tried to stop in front of them but seemed to overestimate her momentum and she jerked forward a few steps. She came to a stop with a laugh and set the rickshaw down.

“Hey guys.” Apricot stepped away from the mode of transportation and set her hands on her hips. “Ready to go?” She asked.

“Where did you get a rickshaw?” Naruto asked to no one in particular.

“We’re renting it for the day.” Yamato answered. “And you’re pulling it.” He motioned to the front of the rickshaw before pointing to the blonde.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Naruto asked Sasuke incredulously. The Uchiha tilted his head and raised an eyebrow to the blonde’s heated stare.

“You’d just have found another reason to say no.” He replied. Sasuke turned away, wanting to get into the rickshaw and to the containment area as quickly as possible.

“No, I wouldn’t have!” The blonde yelled. Sasuke hadn’t expected the outburst and stopped walking. He turned and found Naruto’s blood red gaze had changed; his pupils were vertical slits instead of their normal round shape. It was awkwardly quiet, he could hear the blonde breathe through his nose and everyone else had gone still.

“We’re,” Kakashi started to edge away. “Going to go on ahead and let you two figure this out.” Yamato followed and Apricot pointed to the men walking away before following them and Sasuke was left with his obviously pissed off husband.

“You’re mad.” Sasuke pointed out. Rage swelled in his chest but he kept it contained. Getting into a shouting match wasn’t going to help the situation.

“You let me believe you were stupid and stubborn enough to risk walking to the containment area. Why?” Naruto spit out. Frowning, the dark haired male straightened his posture and stood firm.

“Because I’m sick of you avoiding me.” Sasuke stated. The blonde blinked once and scowled. His mouth opened and Sasuke could see his teeth were elongated, the incisors looking razor sharp.

“I was with you all day yesterday, how is that avoiding you?” Naruto snarled. Sasuke glared back as he let his anger get ahold of him.

“You’re scared to touch me!” Sasuke shouted.

“Of course I am!” Naruto bellowed back. “I could kill you!” He wanted to yell again, rage at the blonde. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke huffed and shifted his weight.

“I know you don’t want to hurt me but you are.” He said in a calmer tone.

“What?” Naruto blinked. His pupils were reverting to their original round shape and his teeth no longer seemed enlarged. Sasuke couldn’t be sure if the changes were because the blonde was calming down or because there was a growing distance between him and apricot. Choosing his words carefully, the Uchiha explained.

“I need you with me more than I need you to protect me.” The dark haired male shifted his weight again. His feet were starting to hurt from standing for an extended period of time. The blood red color of his husband’s eyes started to fade, giving way to his natural blue color.

“Sasuke.” Naruto murmured guiltily. The dark haired male sighed and continued.

“You won’t even touch me.” He stated in a disappointed tone.

“I’m afraid to hurt you.” The blonde explained. “With Apricot’s seal getting weaker, there’s no telling what could happen. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do.” Naruto stepped forward and awkwardly raised his hand, first to Sasuke’s cheek and then to the curve of the Uchiha’s middle.

“You’re rushing to get the seal finished so you won’t be a danger to me.” Sasuke stated.

“Yeah.” Naruto replied lamely. Exhaling loudly through his nostrils, Sasuke reminded himself that he hadn’t expected anything less.

“You better fucking hurry it up then.” The Uchiha told him. He watched Naruto slowly start to smile, reassured that they were going to be okay. Stepping closer, Sasuke held out his arms and pulled his blonde into a hug. Squeezing tight and holding him close for a few seconds, the Uchiha was reluctant to let go. “Let’s go. My feet are starting to hurt.”

Naruto pulled back with a bright smile and sidestepped him, moving towards the rickshaw. Sasuke turned around and waddled his way to the seat of the wooden vehicle. There would be time for them to bicker over Naruto’s decisions and his priorities later. That is, if Naruto survived taking the other half of Kyuubi’s chakra.


	40. Barriers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished the chapter draft I've been lamenting over for the last century this morning. So here's an update. I'm wanting to post another chapter December 16th in honor of this story's anniversary, five years! (Holy Fandom I can't believe it's been five years) Not 100% certain I'll have another chapter draft finished by then but I'm going to try for it. With every new chapter we're getting closer and closer to the end and it's looking more and more real with every sentence I write. Oh the anxiety...

**December twenty-sixth, still the thirty-third week,**

The containment field was well outside of the village, settled in a dense clump of giant pine trees. Naruto had carefully maneuvered the rickshaw, avoiding as many roots and bumps in the barely worn path as he could. It was when Sasuke caught a glimpse of the cleared area through the trees that the blonde stopped.

“I don’t think it can go much further.” Naruto sighed. Craning his head, the Uchiha judged the distance from where they had stopped. It was easily walking distance; the only question would be how out of breath he would be when he got there. He was completely out of shape now that he was confined to bed rest and he’d need a breather before he inspected the containment field.

“That’s fine. I can walk that far.” Sasuke responded. He caught the profile of his husband’s face nodding before facing away. The scars on his cheek were darker and deeper and his eyes were red. Naruto bent down and set the end of the rickshaw on the ground. Sasuke shifted towards the edge of the seat, pausing when his blonde moved closer and held out his hand.

“Let me help.” His husband pleaded with hopeful eyes. Taking Naruto’s hand, Sasuke gripped it tightly and heaved himself off the rickshaw. Sasuke leaned into his husband, who stood firm against his weight and successfully made it off the rickshaw without falling.

“Thank you.” He told his husband. Their eyes met and Naruto nodded, squeezing the Uchiha’s hand in response. It was a moment of silent communication; Sasuke could feel the determination emanating from his husband’s posture and could see the promise in his azure eyes. The pregnant male nodded, trusting his husband to keep whatever silent promise he was making. Naruto seemed satisfied with his response and turned towards the containment field, still holding Sasuke’s hand. As they got closer, Sasuke caught sight of Kakashi leaning against one of the humongous tree trunks. The older male had lifted his headband up on his forehead, revealing his sharingan eye and scar.

“Took you long enough, we’re ready to go.” He told them. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the white haired male as they passed the tree he was leaning against. The dark haired male watched him walk around the other side of the tree and nearly bumped into Naruto who had stopped walking. In front of them was the containment field.

It was, for lack of a better word, small. Sasuke surveyed it as he tried to ignore his aching back and regulate his heavy breathing. The trees were so densely populated, it shaded the tiny clearing from sunlight, leaving it dark and shadowed. Sealing tags were set up in circle, evenly spaced and no less than six feet apart. The ground inside the tags was filled with over a dozen circles of intricate seal work. Two tags in the circle stood out from the rest directly on the other side of each other. On either side of both tags were small circles of the seal work, where it would be activated. Looking up from the containment field, Sasuke found everyone there and staring at him. Apricot was on the other side of the containment field, Yamato next to her, paused in stretching his arms.

“You okay?” Naruto asked him. Sasuke nodded but his breathing was still shallow.

“Just out of breath.” The Uchiha replied. He took two more deep breaths before continuing. “I want to check the seals before you start.” Sasuke watched as Yamato and Apricot each glance to Naruto and Kakashi; he realized what was about to happen.

“No.” Kakashi told him. Sasuke exhaled loudly through his nose, turning his head to glance at his husband. The red-eyed blonde was attempting to look contrite but with Kyuubi’s characteristics enhancing his features, he looked dangerous.

“We know it would ease your mind to look at it but they work and we don’t have time to wait for you to inspect every aspect of it.” Naruto explained in a placating voice. It irritated the Uchiha, knowing he was leaving his husband’s life in the hands of others but what else could he do?

“Fine.” The pregnant male huffed. “Give me a minute.” He turned around and walked away from the containment field.

“We dug a pit! Naruto, show him where it is.” Yamato called out. Sasuke paused next to the trunk of a pine tree, waiting for the blonde to follow him.

“Kage bunshin no jutsu.” Naruto called out. Turning his head, the dark haired male watched six clones appear in clouds of smoke as his husband walked toward him.

“I don’t know what’s worse, having to pee every hour or having to walk to the bathroom every hour.” Sasuke grumbled. The blonde huffed out a quiet laugh and directed the pregnant male around a few trees and stopped where they had dug a pit into the ground. It was too cold to linger, so the Uchiha did his business quickly and walked back with Naruto at a slow pace.

“Ready?” The blonde asked when they arrived back at the site. Apricot and a clone were inside the containment field, the clone was naked from the hips up, an intricate addition to the seal on his stomach. The redhead had shrugged off her coat and rolled up the sleeves of her green sweater, looking cold. They stood as far apart as they could without leaving the circle, the clone shivering and Apricot obviously forcing herself not to twitch or shift nervously. Kakashi and Yamato were on opposite sides of the circle, each sitting in front of a tag. Sasuke let his husband direct him to a comfortable looking base of a tree and helped him sit down. The ground was cold and hard but Sasuke could handle the minor discomfort. He was eight months pregnant and honestly, he’d been through much worse lately.

“Let’s do this.” Yamato said. He placed his hands in the two circles and Sasuke glanced to the other side of the containment field, watching Kakashi mirror the brown haired male. Blue light lit up around the two men’s hands, it spread to the seal of the containment field, lighting the small area and casting longer shadows. Once the seal was completely activated, the outer rim of the seal rose up in an unwavering barrier. It continued to rise and Sasuke lifted his head, continuing to watch it rise along with the tree trunks into the natural rooftop made of pine needles.

“There are more seals in the trees, they’re completely contained.” Kakashi spoke up. His voice was strained and the Uchiha looked down again, the white haired male looked focused, his body was tensed and the muscles in his neck were pulsing. Naruto, the real Naruto along with the other five clones, had taken a spot on the other side of the containment field. His features seemed even more feral now, the symmetrical scars on his cheeks had widened and elongated. Even from this far away, Sasuke could see the blonde’s pupils had become vertical slits and he stood out from his own clones.

“Okay, we’re ready.” Yamato called out. Sasuke glanced back to him and then focused his attention on the two inside the barrier. Apricot nodded and stepped further into the circle, Naruto’s clone doing the same. The clone cautiously glanced to the Uchiha before holding out his hand, as if to shake the younger girl’s hand. She held out her hand and clutched the blonde’s forearm tightly. Sasuke waited for long moments and watched as nothing happened. They stood still, the only thing he was watching was them breathing.

“How long?” The Uchiha glanced around. Naruto’s clones shifted around him but everyone remained still.

“The good ones last over an hour.” Yamato spoke in a low voice. He didn’t take his eyes off of the pair in the containment field.

“Should have made someone make me a fire before this started.” The Uchiha sighed. He repositioned himself and felt the baby stir, the little passenger wouldn’t stay still for long in the cold.

“Naruto’s gotten pretty good with pine needles.” Apricot glanced over to him, attempting to stay as still as possible. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and caught his husband’s eye, a smirk forming on his lips.

“Want to bet on how long it’ll take to get him to come close enough to Sasuke to build a fire?” Kakashi asked. Yamato snorted and the clone holding forearms with Kyoko frowned. Naruto smiled widely at the pregnant male from across the sealed area.

“He’ll send a clone.” Yamato replied. The Uchiha set a hand on his rounded stomach and grinned. He could see his husband’s expression change but with Kyuubi’s chakra enhancing his characteristics, the Uchiha couldn’t quite make out what it was.

“That isn’t funny.” Naruto growled. Apricot visibly stiffened, Yamato and Kakashi fell silent, but Sasuke continued to grin. The clones’ facial expressions ranged from angry scowls to worried glances with blood red eyes. Sasuke looked back to the two standing on the seal, both of their pupils had morphed into vertical slits, the clone’s scars enlarged on his cheeks.

“Relax,” The Uchiha called out. “They’re just looking for a way to pass time.” His husband’s mouth opened in an obvious scowl, his incisors looking longer and sharper than normal. “What happens now, when the seal additions break down?” He asked. Even with the change in topic, tense gazes slid from Naruto to Sasuke and then to each other.

“You’ll see. Judging by their eyes, it won’t be long.” Kakashi pointed out.

“How are you feeling?” Yamato asked. The redheaded girl opened her mouth and paused, blinking rapidly for a few seconds.

“There’s pressure, I can’t get it under control.” She answered. “It’s building up inside me, like I may explode if I don’t let it out.” The girl made a pained face and they watched as their held hands started to shake. Naruto’s clone tried to pull his arm away, jerking back and tugging Kyoko forward. Red chakra blasted out from where the two were touching. It lashed out, deflecting off the barrier in a ripple of red and blue and Sasuke watched as more clung to the clone’s skin. The chakra bubbled up along Naruto’s arm as he tried to get away, covering it along with his chest in seconds. Naruto’s clone was quickly morphing shape, half human, half Kyuubi as the chakra continued to escape. It happened in a second, the clone ‘poofed’ out of existence and with the connection lost, Kyuubi’s chakra blasted itself from Apricot into the barrier before dissipating into nothing. Kyoko dropped to her knees, gasping for air. Sasuke tilted his head, watching her iris’ return to their circular shape.

“Well, that’s one more we scratch off our list.” Yamato sighed. Sasuke watched as one of Naruto’s clones moved to a nearby tree, pulling a scroll, a brush, and inkbottle out from under a root.

“This happens every time?” The Uchiha asked. Apricot shook her head and moved to sit down while the clone scratched out something on the scroll.

“Only with the weaker combinations.” She gasped softly. “I think I’ve got it under control.” The redheaded girl motioned to lower the barrier. Both Kakashi and Yamato’s body posture relaxed and they slowly brought the barrier down before pulling their hands away. The seal turned black as it was powered down and Apricot slowly got up and walked out of the containment field.

“Has it ever faltered?” He asked. Motioning to the seals, he looked to Kakashi and Yamato for an answer.

“No, the Hokage’s people have done a good job.” The white haired male sighed. One of the blonde’s clones pulled off his jacket and shirt, shuddering at the cold as another clone held out the brush, scroll, and inkbottle for Yamato to take. The shirtless clone sat down and straightened his back, giving the brown haired male as much skin as possible to paint on his stomach.

“Hn.” The pregnant male responded. He had to admit to himself, the live demonstration had been effective in answering a majority of the questions he had. Yamato had opened the scroll and started painting on the blonde’s stomach, carefully replicating from the scroll. Apricot was pacing along the curved tree line, shaking her arms and rolling her shoulders every few seconds.

“Is she okay?” Sasuke asked.

“She’s fine.” Kyoko stated before anyone else could answer. She glanced to the Uchiha without faltering in her pacing but tilted her head from side to side. “It’s, it’s disconcerting. Losing control like that, it doesn’t feel good.” The redhead tried to explain.

“Disconcerting, that’s a big word. Looks like her one on one time with Iruka-sensei is finally paying off.” Yamato responded distractedly. The remaining clones chuckled or laughed and Sasuke smirked when the redheaded girl glared at the group of red-eyed blondes.

“Ready to go or do you want to stay?” His husband asked. The real Naruto was standing apart from his clones, leaning against a trunk of one of the surrounding trees. He was concerned, as far as the Uchiha could tell with Kyuubi’s chakra exaggerating his characteristics.

“I’ll stay for one more.” He responded. “I want to see what happens when the seal is strong.” Naruto looks unhappy but nods anyway.

“Just like that, but not as pretty.” Kakashi pointed out. Apricot let out a high pitched-giggle, shaking her head out of nervousness. Sasuke watched her while readjusting his coat with a grimace. The baby was kicking again, right against his bladder.

“You know there people moving into the compound next week? Shouldn’t we be getting ready for that?” Kyoko spoke up questioningly. She was still pacing, whenever she turned around she looked the Uchiha over, as if he would do something unexpected when she wasn’t looking.

“The only thing left is triple checking the keys are labeled correctly.” Sasuke answers absent-mindedly. “When did this start happening?” The Uchiha pointed to the redhead. Apricot stuck her tongue out at him until she turned around to pace away.

“She lost her proverbial grip a few days ago, went a little nuts. Took a couple minutes to get Kyuubi’s chakra under control.” Yamato explained. He tilted his head, no longer completely focused on the clone’s stomach and seal he was drawing on it.

“You didn’t tell me.” Sasuke pinned the blonde with an irritated look. If his husband was feeling guilty, the Uchiha couldn’t tell by his expression.

“Didn’t want you to worry.” Naruto scoffed just loudly enough for the dark haired male to hear. Kakashi sighed loudly and Sasuke watched him from the corner of his eye turn around, watching Apricot pace.

“Give me a minute, okay?” Apricot nearly shouted. Turning his full attention to the younger girl, the Uchiha watched her come to a stop, her hands clenching and relaxing as she glared determinedly at the white haired jonin. “This is scary and stressful and I’m never going to be ready so let’s just do this.” She rambled. Kyoko stopped her pacing and walked back into the containment field. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the girl, surprised by her frantic outburst.

“Someone needs to take a deep breath and calm down.” Yamato called out. He set down the brush and the clone carefully stood up, the brown haired male checked his stomach for smudges before waving him into the containment field. “Alright, time to do it again.” The brown haired male set his hands in place and Kakashi did the same. Sasuke glanced to his husband, narrowing his eyes at the currently red-eyed blonde. Naruto stared back, his expression unreadable with the help of Kyuubi’s chakra.

“Hang on.” Sasuke spoke up. He stared at his husband, refusing to look away. “I have to pee again.” The Uchiha watched Naruto’s face break out into a wide grin. His elongated teeth and darkened scars on his cheeks made him look feral.

“Didn’t you just go?” Apricot huffed with a frown. Sasuke set his hands on the ground, intent on standing up. One of Naruto’s clones quickly moved, hurriedly walking around the containment field and held out a hand for him to take.

“I’m pregnant, what did you expect?” The Uchiha replied. He took the clone’s hand and grunted with effort to stand up. Glancing back at his husband, the pregnant male was happily surprised to see him still grinning.

* * *

  **January first, the thirty-fourth week,**

“You’re supposed to be resting, remember?” Naruto sighed, frustrated. Sasuke huffed as he leaned against the wall, glaring at his husband. It was too early in the morning to fight.

“I need to do this, today.” He responded. Today was the day they opened the compound, where people moved in and started living here. The last thing he needed to before they started letting people in was to shut down the barrier.

“Can’t I do this?” The blonde tried again. Sasuke shook his head and moved to straighten himself up, grunting with effort.

“No, you can’t.” He responded. Naruto hovered next to him but kept enough distance to not crowd him. “The barrier comes down today.” They started walking again, a few blocks from the courtyard at the center of the compound.

“Should have kept the rickshaw.” Naruto muttered under his breath. “You’re going to get me in trouble with Sakura and Taji-san.” He said a little louder. The dark haired male rolled his eyes and chuckled softly.

“Hopefully. I’m tired of being the only one.” Sasuke replied. He glanced back to see his husband looking irritated and very much not amused. “We’re almost there.” The Uchiha huffed.

“I know.” Naruto sighed. They made it to the small courtyard without having to stop again, which the pregnant male was grateful for. He would have done this by himself if had still been able to bend down properly, or be able to get up from sitting on the ground without help. Breathing a little heavy, Sasuke paused in the middle of the courtyard, eyes scanning for the circular piece of glass.

“Right there.” The pregnant male pointed out. Naruto bent down, scraping away dirt and straightened up with a smile.

“Got it.” He lifted the glass up for Sasuke to see. The Uchiha nodded and tried to look down at the small opening of the seal and gage where he should place his hand over it. His problem was his protruding middle; he couldn’t see his feet, or the ground in front of him.

“Make sure my hand is over it.” Sasuke sighed. Holding out his hand, he let Naruto grab his wrist and place it in the air over the open seal. Naruto’s fingers lingered, tracing the outlines of his bones and sending shivers down the pregnant male’s spine.

“Okay.” The blonde murmured. He pulled out a kunai from his pouch, pressing the pointed tip to the inside of the Uchiha’s palm. Naruto glanced up, meeting Sasuke’s gaze. Nodding, the dark haired male looked down to their hands, feeling the pressure increase. Pain registered but he ignored it, watching the kunai pierce his skin, blood welling up at the cut. Sasuke let his husband tilt his hand, turning his palm to the ground and he watched as the blood followed gravity. It clung to his skin before dripping down. One drop was all it took. Sasuke raised his head, watching as the barrier dissolved in the sky above them. There was a subtle change, the sky seemed brighter, and the clouds less fuzzy in their outlines.

“That’s it?” Naruto asked softly. Sasuke returned his attention to his husband, watching him look around.

“Yes, we should be able to feel a breeze soon.” The Uchiha responded. He tried to pull his hand out the blonde’s grip but Naruto squeezed his wrist tightly and returned his attention to him.

“Let me take care of that.” Naruto stated quietly. Sasuke raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest. The blonde dropped his weapon and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a white cloth and pressing it to the Uchiha’s small wound. “You want to sit down?” He asked. Nodding his head, the Uchiha reached up, freeing his hand from his husband’s grip and put pressure on the cloth-covered wound. Naruto bent down to pick up his weapon and Sasuke turned, heading to the nearest bench in the courtyard. It took some uncomfortable effort but he managed to sit down and watched his husband clean his kunai against his pant leg.

“That’s going to dry and be a pain to get out.” Sasuke pointed out in irritation. Naruto slipped the weapon back into his pouch as he walked over, smiling at his pregnant male.

“I’ll wash it, don’t worry.” The blonde sat down next to him and proffered his wounded hand before Naruto could reach for it. Naruto took it gladly, pulling the cloth away to reveal the quickly congealing cut. “Looks good, I’ll put a bandage on it in a few minutes.” The blonde murmured.

“Thank you.” Sasuke replied. He leaned as much as he could, placing his head on Naruto’s shoulder. “How many clones are you going leave?”

“I was thinking twenty or so. Enough to make sure you don’t get bombarded and a few to help people move their stuff.” The blonde explained. Naruto’s fingers were gently mapping out Sasuke’s hand. His fingers grazed the tips of his fingers, the back of his palm, and the bones of his wrist. Naruto’s thumb rested against his radial artery, feeling his pulse.

“That should be more than enough.” Sasuke responded. His husband continued to fondle his hand for a few more seconds before shifting, not so subtly wanting him to lift his head. With a sigh, the dark haired male did so and tried not to mourn the loss of the short lived affection he had been craving. “Get the bandage, we need to unlock the gate still.” Naruto reluctantly let go and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

“Relax, it’s not like we’re going to be late.” The blonde hummed as he pulled out the bandage and started to unwrap it. Sasuke rolled his eyes but peeled off the blood-splotched cloth from his palm and let his husband stick the bandage on. “There, all fixed.” Naruto claimed as he smoothed his fingers over the bandage.

“Help me up then.” Sasuke wrapped his fingers around the tan palm and tugged on it gently. The blonde smiled and stood, his grip tightening in preparation for helping the pregnant male stand. As he was hauled onto his feet, the dark haired male felt a small breeze of air whoosh across his cheek. He took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air as Naruto turned his head towards the wind with a smile.

“There’s that breeze you were talking about.” Naruto grinned. Sasuke smiled back, not at all excited for the walk to the gate.

* * *

 “Sasuke.” The dark haired male heard his name being called out. He shifted, becoming aware of the cold and his up-right position. Tilting his head, he felt heat flare against his cheek. The pregnant male cracked his eyes open and caught sight of the metal fire pit and pile of logs Naruto had pulled out for him a few feet away from the desk. “Sasuke.” Sakura’s voice called out again.

“Hmm.” The Uchiha answered. He blinked and shifted again, looking around and catching sight of the pink haired woman standing across the table from him. It didn’t take long for him to remember where he was and what he was doing, so he must have fallen asleep during a lull of people coming in. Based on the position of the sun, it was still early afternoon; he’d probably slept for an hour, maybe two.

“You really shouldn’t fall asleep out here.” She stated crossly. Sasuke rolled his shoulders, stretching out as he shook off sleep. He took in the mess of the papers on the desk in front of him, frowning when he realized people had checked in and gotten their keys while he had been sleeping.

“Weren’t you the one to tell me I should take more naps?” The pregnant male asked. He reached out, pulling the sheets of paper closer to take a look at them. Sakura huffed and set her hands on the table, leaning over it to stare the pregnant male down. Sasuke glanced past the pink haired woman, watching people walk past the open gates, some curiously peering in.

“Not outside.” She commented pointedly. Not bothering with a verbal response, Sasuke flipped through several pages, reading the half-illegible scribbles of Naruto’s handwriting. It seemed the blonde’s twenty clones had managed to stay organized, though none of them seem to be around now. Craning his head, Sasuke looked around and caught sight of one clone dropping down from a nearby rooftop.

“Relax, Sakura. I was keeping watch on him.” Naruto’s clone called out. The blonde jogged over and breathing a little heavily. “I only stepped away to help someone catch their escaped cat. Sleep well, Sasuke?” He asked. Nodding, the dark haired male held up a handful of paper and set them down again, shuffling them together neatly.

“You’re sure you kept track of everyone who’s moved in?” Sasuke asked. He glanced down to the board of keys, neatly organized by address and half them already gone. The pink haired woman turned around and stepped to the side, Sasuke glanced up to see a man and a woman walking in, toting as much luggage as they could carry with them.

“Yeah. We wrote everything down, just like you told us too.” The clone answered with a smile. He waved to the couple to come closer before glancing back to Sasuke. “If you want to go home, a couple of us should be on their way back. We can take over.” Naruto’s clone looked between Sasuke and Sakura with a grin.

“Hello.” Sasuke called out when they were close enough to speak too. The male was dark haired, wearing a purple shirt and black pants and the brunette woman following him was in a yellow shirt and dark pants, her hair pulled into a bun. Each carried an individual suitcase in each hand, the male had a backpack, so full it looked like it would rip apart at the seams at any moment.

“Hi, we’re here to move in.” The young male told the Uchiha. They both set down their suitcases and the male held out his hand for the Uchiha to shake. “Tomaru and Hibari Minakura, we’re renting an apartment near the commercial district on the west side.” Sasuke glanced between the smiling couple as he took Tomaru Minakura’s hand, remembering them vaguely from all those weeks ago.

“27A, yes.” He murmured. Looking through the papers in front of him, Sasuke pulled out the one for their apartment. “If you could sign here that you’re receiving your keys.” The dark haired male slid the paper across the table to them and leaned over to the board of keys to find Naruto’s clone was already pulling the two from their hook.

“Do you need any help, or directions?” Sakura asked. The Uchiha held out his hand and the clone placed the keys in his hand as the couple signed.

“Oh no, I think we can manage. We’ve got friends and family helping us move all of our bigger things tomorrow.” The young woman, Hibari, shook her head as she explained. Her male counterpart slid the piece of paper back over to the Uchiha and he held out the keys, passing them over with a nod.

“Thank you.” Tomaru spoke up, still smiling. He passed one of the keys to Hibari and they both tucked them into a pocket before picking up their suitcases again.

“Let us know if you need anything or have any issues.” Naruto’s clone told them as they passed the desk. The couple nodded, still smiling happily.

“Didn’t they go to the academy?” Sakura asked as they walked away. Sasuke tilted his head and pulled a folder on the edge of the desk closer and slipped the signed piece of paper in it.

“Yes. He made chuunin and she’s taking the exam next year.” The Uchiha set the folder down and moved to stand slowly, using the desk as support. He stretched and tried to work out the kinks in his back. “They’ve been together since their academy days, still lived with their parents since they couldn’t find a place they could afford.” Sasuke explained.

“Look at you, being friendly with others outside our little circle.” Sakura told him teasingly. Scoffing at her, the dark haired male turned his attention to the street behind him, watching as three clones were running toward them.

“They wouldn’t shut up about it when I was showing them apartments.” The pregnant male grumbled. Naruto’s clone huffed out a quiet laugh before wrapping an arm around Sasuke’s shoulders.

“And you didn’t have the heart to tell them to.” The clone replied. Sasuke rolled his eyes but he leaned into the clone’s embrace anyway. “Knew you were a softie on the inside.” Naruto laughed and pressed a kiss to the pregnant male’s forehead.

“I’m going home.” The Uchiha muttered. After a long moment, he shrugged off the clones arm and pulled away. The clone didn’t seem disheartened, just stuffed his hands into his pockets and nodded to his duplicates as they slowed down to a walk before stopping in front of them.

“I’ll go with you, I haven’t had lunch yet and I’m sure you could eat something too.” Sakura spoke up. “Think you four can handle things here?” The four clones all spoke up at once, confirming that they could man the desk for the rest of the day if need be.

“Don’t forget to bring the paperwork home with you.” Sasuke told them. The four blondes nodded in understanding as one took the dark haired male’s chair and another kneeled next to the fire pit, pulling a log from the pile and setting it in the fire pit. With that, Sakura and Sasuke turned and walked away from the open gates of the compound at a slow pace.

“I’m thinking a vegetable stir-fry for lunch, interested?” Sakura asked him as they walked.

“Hn.” The pregnant male responded noncommittally. “I’m supposed to have a doctor’s appointment this week.” Sasuke mentioned. He glanced to the pink haired woman who didn’t look remotely surprised by the question.

“Taji-sensei wants to do a house visit rather than have you come all the way to the hospital.” The pink haired woman responded. She glanced over and zipped her jacket up a little more. “I told her I’d check with you what day was good.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He told her. “It’s not like I have anywhere to be.” They turned a corner, pausing as they caught sight of people walking down the street. It was, strange to see other people here, Sasuke had gotten used to the compound being deserted. It was a family with two little girls, the children excitedly carrying toys from an opened box while the parents took unopened boxes from a large dolly stopped next to a building. The pregnant male stood still for a second before continuing down the street, Sakura following closely behind him.

“Relax, Sasuke. If you really think about it, this is the calm before the storm. You’re going to have a baby before you know it.” Sakura explained with a smile. The parents caught sight of them, smiled and waved at the Uchiha and Sakura as they walked by. He wasn’t caught off guard by the comment. After all these months of pregnancy, the idea wasn’t new. Sasuke nodded to the parents and ignored the way the children stared at his stomach.

“With Apricot and my husband’s lives in the balance of completing his seal, I wouldn’t exactly call it calm.” He murmured.

* * *

  **January fourth, still the thirty-fourth week,**

“Good morning.” Taji told Sasuke as soon as she stepped into the room. The elderly woman found him lounging on the couch, one leg resting on the armrest and the other dangling, his foot resting on the floor. Sasuke tilted his head to see her, then struggled to sit up, pushing himself up into a reclined position.

“Can I get you tea, or something to eat?” He asked. Taji shook her head and raised her hand, motioning for him to remain seated. Sasuke relaxed with a huff, watching his obstetrician take a seat in the chair next to the couch.

“I’m fine, thank you.” She replied. He watched as she set a gray medical bag on the coffee table, the   “Though I do hope that tea is decaffeinated.” Taji teased with a smile. Raising an eyebrow, the Uchiha moved to sit up, and pointed to the kitchen.

“It’s Sakura’s.” He explained. The obstetrician laughed softly as she opened the medical bag. Sasuke watched Taji-san pull out a blood pressure cuff and held out his arm expectantly.

“I’m bumping our visits up to once a week.” The elder woman told the pregnant male as she wrapped the cuff around his arm, securing it tightly.

“Was wondering when that would happen.” He replied nonchalantly. Patiently, he let his obstetrician take his blood pressure and when she pulled it off, he lifted his shirt for the next part.

“I’ll have Kusushi come next week as well. We’ll be bringing a portable ultrasound.” Taji explained. The elder woman pulled a stethoscope out of the bag and turned back to the pregnant male. Sasuke nodded as she pressed the end of the stethoscope against his bare chest. “Take a breath for me.” She murmured. He followed her directions quietly, going through the motions until the obstetrician was satisfied.

“That was quick.” Sasuke mentioned as he pulled his shirt down. Taji-san glanced over to him.

“I still need to look over the little one.” The Uchiha sighed and eased himself onto his back, rolling his shirt back up to his chest. Taji kneeled down in front of the couch, her chakra glowing green.

“Anything interesting happening this week?” He asked conversationally. Placing her hands on his middle, she felt around, pressing slightly in seemingly random places.

“Kidneys will almost be fully developed, lungs seem to be maturing well.” The obstetrician murmured. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the information but chose not to comment. She reached over the expanse of his stomach, pressing firmly near his hipbone. “Everything feels normal. How are you doing?” Taji asked. She lifted her hands, the green glow fading as she let her chakra dissipate.

“Still constantly need to pee.” Sasuke replied. He pulled his shirt down again as the elder woman slowly rose from the floor. “Having some trouble sleeping through the night but I have plenty of time during the day to nap.”

“Any heartburn?” Taji asked as she sat back down in the chair. Raising an eyebrow as pulled his shirt back down. He craned his neck to look at his obstetrician, remembering that she had asked about heartburn before.

“No, how common is heartburn during pregnancy?” The Uchiha asked as he shifted onto his side. She tilted her head, humming noncommittally.

“Very common, seems you’re one of the lucky ones.” Taji answered after a moment. The elder woman was smiling but Sasuke could see that it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Now, I think we need to talk about your escapades last week.” Her less than genuine expression faded, a stern look replacing it.

“Who told?” He asked. His attempt at keeping a straight face didn’t seem to fool the older woman. Maybe it was because she knew him too well or he was getting predictable but she crossed her arms and shook her head.

“You think I’m going to tell on the tattletale?” Taji-san questioned. Sasuke scowled at her and raised a hand to his head, running his fingers through his recently cut hair.

“It’s that or I punish them both.” He commented. The pregnant male wasn’t all that serious; he’d gotten what he could get out of going to the containment field. His obstetrician stood up and gave him one last glance-over with a knowing smile.

“And who said it could only have been Naruto or Sakura?” She asked. Sasuke stared up at Taji-san with a shrug of his shoulders. “No more extraneous excursions, do you understand?” Taji set her hands on her hips as she stared the dark haired male down. The Uchiha nodded under the scrutiny, which seemed to appease the obstetrician. “You’ll see Kusushi and I next week, don’t forget.”

“Will the portable ultrasound machine be able to take a picture?” He asked.

“I’m afraid not.” She replied with a shake of her head. “Do you want to go to the hospital next week to get one?” The Uchiha considered the option for a minute, weighing the pros and cons of trekking all the way to the hospital and back.

“No, it’s not necessary.” He answered after a few seconds. Taji-san nodded at his response and smiled kindly.

“I’ll see you next week then.” She told the pregnant male as she moved across the room, headed for the front door.

“Next week.” The Uchiha called out as he watched the obstetrician leave. He watched her disappear past the doorway and heard her open and shut the front door. Quiet took over the house and Sasuke relaxed into it. It wasn’t complete silence. He could hear things happening outside of the house, all of it forming into an indistinguishable hum that the pregnant male had gotten used to quickly. Having the compound full of people was, good.

* * *

  _Most days, Sasuke didn’t mind how small Kakashi’s apartment was. The white haired male was hardly ever there, on missions or spending his nights at Iruka’s. Sasuke had also grown used to Naruto’s almost constant presence. Coming over to the apartment whenever he was able, spending hours, sometimes several days with the Uchiha. He’d gotten used to the strange routine that had been the last month, grown comfortable in having the blonde there with him._

_Today, the apartment was stifling._

_“We need to talk about this, Sasuke.” Iruka told him carefully. Opening his eyes, Sasuke stared at his chakra cuffs and the chain that had been put back on by the anbu. Physical reminders that he was still considered a prisoner, the only reason he’d been taken out of a cell altogether was probably Naruto’s doing. “Sasuke?” Iruka asked softly._

_Lifting his head, the Uchiha was once again reminded just how small the apartment was. Three anbu were positioned around the apartment, one behind him in the kitchen, another standing in front of Kakashi’s bedroom door and the other at the front door. Iruka was sitting on a chair, one that had been dragged from the kitchen across from Sasuke’s spot on the couch. Kakashi stood next to the academy teacher’s spot, the Hokage, a furious looking blonde woman he’d only met once since being brought back to Konoha, stood on the other side of Iruka. It was unnerving to be around this many people after weeks of being practically alone in the apartment._

_“You think his obsession with me is unhealthy.” Sasuke said as he met his old teacher’s concerned gaze._

_“So you do recognize Naruto’s attentions and feelings toward you as an obsession?” The Hokage pointed out. Sliding his gaze towards her, the Uchiha regarded her carefully. Naruto had talked about her extensively in their time together, though he seemed to talk about everyone and everything when he got bored of the silence. She seemed to be exactly how the blonde in question had described her, from the size of her bosom to her abrasive personality. The Hokage glared at him, her golden gaze hard and unwavering. It seemed Naruto was oblivious to how protective the ‘old hag’ was of him._

_“I’m worried about you, both of you.” Iruka amended as he leaned forward. Sasuke returned his gaze back to the brown haired male. “I fear you might become dependent on Naruto’s attentions and that he might become reliant on your dependency.” His eyes dropped back down to his chakra cuffs and the chain. The blonde hated the cuffs, voiced his disgust every time he’d visit and had to unchain them._

_“I am dependent on him.” Sasuke answered truthfully. He lifted his head and watched as the three people in front of him stiffened. “But you’re wrong about him wanting me to be.” The Uchiha continued purposefully._

_“You might want to explain that.” Kakashi’s visible eye looked him over as the white haired male set a hand on Iruka’s shoulder. Sasuke remained quiet, remembering dozens of moments from over the course of the last month that added up to this moment._

_“Naruto’s the only person who’s come here willingly.” The dark haired male answered after what must have been several minutes._

_“You are under house arrest.” The anbu by the door mutters. Sasuke grits his teeth and holds back a retort. Kakashi’s visible eye is carefully blank and the Uchiha looks away._

_“But he has never tried to take away what little self-agency I have left.” He clarifies when he sees Iruka’s troubled expression has darkened. The Uchiha lets his gaze travel to the Hokage; her expression still barely contained fury._

_“Who is allowed to see him?” Iruka whispers._

_“Kakashi, and Naruto.” The golden eyed woman answers. There is a second of silence, the teacher waiting for her to continue but as Sasuke knows; there are no more names forthcoming. Sakura had made over a dozen attempts to come see him; Naruto told him each time she tried to get past the anbu guard. The academy teacher stands up suddenly, the chair scraping against the floor as it moves. He watches Kakashi and the Hokage step back as the brown haired male turns around._

_“I need to speak to you, outside.” Iruka hisses out angrily. He steps to the side and Sasuke finds himself at a loss of words when he sees the teacher from his childhood glowering at the leader of Konoha. She seems to be just as surprised, eyebrow raised as she follows him to the door. The Uchiha watches the anbu step aside, allowing Iruka and the Hokage to leave. When the door shuts, Kakashi’s shoulders droop and he takes a step forward. The white haired male sits in the chair and slouches in it, head angled towards the door._

_“Do you hate me?” Sasuke murmurs. Kakashi’s eye trails over to him slowly. For the first time since Naruto had first surprised him in this apartment, the Uchiha feels a knot form in his chest. His hands clenched into fists and the chain connecting his handcuffs rattling at the movement. The three masked guards shift in response and Kakashi’s eye darts between them._

_“I thought you and Naruto needed time alone to figure your relationship out.” Kakashi answered when his gaze flickered back to the Uchiha. Frowning, Sasuke wants to ask what he means by that but before he can, the front door opens again. The Hokage is scowling when she walks back in and Iruka looks furious. Kakashi stands back up, allowing Iruka to reclaim his seat as the Uchiha tries to prepare himself for the worst._

_“Sasuke, we think it’d be best if Naruto stopped visiting you for the time being.” The brown haired teacher begins in a tone of forced calmness. It was exactly what he had feared. “Kakashi will take some time off doing missions to be here with you and if you’d like, I’m sure we can arrange for Sakura or I to come visit.” Iruka continues. It feels like Sasuke’s heart has stopped beating. “There are even a few people here in the village that might have had similar experiences with Orochimaru you could talk to. I know you’re not one to open up to strangers but it is an option.” Leaning forward as far as he can without leaving his seat, the Uchiha analyzes the man’s expression and can only find sincerity. Knowing that his old sensei has no hidden agenda or some unknown goal is almost too good to be true._

_“Why?” Sasuke asks after a long moment of silence._

_“Because we want to help you.” Iruka answers. “I may not know the details of what happened while you were with Orochimaru or the circumstances of how team seven found you but you will always be my student. I want to be here to support you any way I can.” The man sounds unwaveringly sincere. Sasuke bites the inside of his cheek as he turns the offer over in his mind._

_“And because your current and only support is obsessed with you.” Kakashi adds. Surprised by the quip, the Uchiha can only watch as Iruka twists in the chair and hits the white haired male in the stomach._

_“You’re not helping.” Iruka snaps at him. He doesn’t know why the interaction affects him and the Uchiha surprises himself when he starts to chuckle. The Hokage looks genuinely surprised, Iruka is stunned, his fist still pressed against Kakashi’s middle, and the white haired male is trying very hard not to smirk under his mask._

_“I don’t think you can stop Naruto from visiting, Iruka-sensei.” Sasuke stops his chuckles but he can’t seem to wipe the smile off his face. “But I have missed you, Kakashi.” The Uchiha sighs._

_“I’m sure of it.” Kakashi responds with a shrug of his shoulders. It catches the imprisoned male off guard and he dissolves into a bout of silent chuckling. His shoulders shake uncontrollably as he shifts around on the couch, no longer concerned with the anbu watching his every move. “We’ll start with some one on one time together and if he’s feeling up to it, you can give back Sakura’s access to my apartment and then Naruto’s.” The white haired male clapped his hand on Iruka’s shoulder as the Uchiha slouches in his seat, still grinning._

“Hey there, are you sleeping?” Sakura’s voice interrupts his dream. The Uchiha’s eyes opened and he blinked rapidly. It took him that long to become aware of his surroundings, in bed with Sakura leaning over him. “You were smiling, so I wasn't sure.” The pink haired woman told him.

“Hn.” Sasuke hums before yawning. The pregnant male stretches his limbs, several of his joints popping at the movement. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he watches his friend take a step back.

“Are you hungry? I can make a snack before we start on dinner.” The pink haired woman walks around the bed, carefully watching the Uchiha’s movements.

“No, I’m good.” Sasuke replies. He winces at the feeling of a muscle in his back twinge but other than that he feels pretty well rested. Sakura hovers in the doorway in case he needs help standing, which is quickly becoming a common occurrence. Once he’s on his own two feet, Sakura leaves him to follow at his own pace. Sasuke waddles slowly down the hallway, his mind replaying the memory he’d dreamed.


	41. Breakthrough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincerest apologies! I had wanted to get this chapter out on the 16th but as usual, reality got busy. Until further notice, I will be putting this story back on hiatus until I finish writing the story.
> 
> Not sure when I will begin posting new chapters again but I'm so close to finishing it...I just have to sit down and write it, which has been my problem for the last few months.   
> There will be a minimum of 2 more chapters (because I have them partially written already) but the aim is 3, maybe 4 more chapters. Likely, they will be posted in quick succession I just haven't figured out the logistics yet.

**January eleventh, the thirty-fifth week,**

“Be prepared, the next one is with an addition of a new section to it.” Yamato said as the sound of him rolling a scroll up caught Naruto’s attention. They were on the third break of the day and night was just beginning to set in. The last seal addition they had tried had not ended well; Apricot had managed to calm down and by the sound of it, was currently doing pushups to burn off her anxious energy. Naruto didn’t bother opening his eyes as he held up his hand in a ‘thumbs up’ motion and continued to attempt to get some sleep slumped up against a tree. Kakashi had already been asleep when he’d closed his eyes so he could only assume his white haired teacher had also made a gesture of understanding.

“Got it.” Apricot gasped quietly as she continued her push-ups. Her labored breathing and the intermittent sounds of a brush being dipped in ink, which could only be Yamato prepping the next clone, were the only sounds that kept them from lapsing into silence.

“How’d the doctor’s house call go?” The dark haired male asked just as Naruto was slipping into something heavier than a doze. Rousing himself from his relaxed state, the blonde opened his eyes to see Yamato painting a seal onto the last living clone’s stomach, taking his time with the intricate symbols.

“Really good, actually.” Naruto replied. He shifting, sitting up as he remembered Kusushi and Taji coming to the house with the portable ultrasound. “Taji-sensei said that the baby’s lungs were maturing, even though we couldn’t see it.” The blonde continued. Yamato paused in his artwork and watched him make motions with his hands, nodding at the appropriate moments.

“How’d telling her about Sasuke’s dizzy spell go?” Kakashi spoke up. Naruto looked to him as he deflated a little, his smile fading as he dropped his hands into his lap, careful of his elongated nails. The white haired male was moving to stand up, stretching his back and arms as the blond responded.

“She agrees with Sakura, temporary drop in blood pressure from extensive bed rest. There’s nothing to do about it. He just needs to be careful with how fast he tries to stand up.” Naruto explained. Kakashi shrugged his shoulders, having no opinion to add to the topic.

“How has Sasuke been holding up with everything else? I feel like I haven’t seen him in ages.” Apricot spoke up for the first time since they’d let her out of the containment field. She continued with her pushups, her breath coming out in puffs of white. Tilting her head, the girl’s red eyes met his, her pupils an abnormal oval shape. It spoke volumes of how weak her seal was getting.

“Tired, all the time. He has trouble sleeping.” Naruto answered after a moment. Even to his own ears he sounded distracted and from the way Yamato and Kakashi both stilled, they hadn’t missed it either.

“If you can chat it’s time to test the next one.” The white haired male pointed out. He motioned for Apricot to get back into the containment field.

“Almost done.” Yamato spoke up. “The details in these combinations are getting tricky.” Naruto watched as the redheaded girl stood up and gingerly walked into the circles of seals.

“That only means we’re getting closer.” Naruto spoke up. The blonde watched as his clone eased himself to his feet, a large seal covering his stomach as he stepped into the containment field. “It won’t be long now.” He murmured. Naruto straightened as he watched the barrier go up, glancing to Yamato when he nodded. The blonde watched as his clone and Kyoko held out their hands, clasping each other at their forearms.

It happened suddenly, he was watching his clone and Apricot and then everything faded to black. He could feel a sense of pressure building around him, one that felt familiar. In a single blink, the darkness disappeared and he found himself within his mind. The familiar sound of water dripping gave it away and he slowly turned, gaze landing on the bars of Kyuubi’s cage.

“It’s been a while, brat.” The demon fox growled. Naruto narrowed his eyes; he couldn’t see the fox in his cage, even though he knew Kyuubi was in there. Being forcibly dragged into the recesses in his mind did not sit well with him.

“What am I doing here?” The blonde growled. He could feel the demon’s chakra boiling under his skin and in the air around him. Those two, huge, blood red eyes blinked open behind the bars of the cage before the demon fox’s snout peered out from the shadows.

“Yes, why are you here with the whelp? Shouldn’t you be with your Uchiha bitch?” Kyuubi questioned. Naruto glared at the contained demon but didn’t respond to the fox’s attempt to rile him. “He should be giving birth any day now.”

“Leave my husband out of this.” The blonde growled. He could feel his teeth and nails elongating, his anger fueling the change. Naruto attempted to quell the rage and felt his seal start to itch, similar to a burning sensation.

“Oh, husband! Now that is interesting.” The demon fox tilted his head, baring his fangs at the blonde. “I wonder, will he taste better still pregnant or will the kit be just as delicious?” Unrepentant fury bloomed in the blonde’s chest. No one threatened his family.

“You will never touch him or my child!” The blonde screamed. Chakra burst out from him, unable to contain it. It happened quickly, everything was bathed in the red glow of Kyuubi’s chakra. Then he was back in the real world, Naruto inhaled sharply in shock. Apricot was staring at him from inside the containment field, her eyes green, and Kakashi and Yamato glancing to him with caution. It took effort to regain control, his heightened emotions making it difficult but he forced Kyuubi’s chakra back down. Gasping, the blonde forced the flaring red chakra away and when he looked up, Apricot’s eyes had once again bled red.

“What happened?” Yamato called out. Naruto grimaced instead of responding and raised his legs, curling inward. This wasn’t good, at all.

“Did you see that?” Apricot called out loudly. She paced the diameter of the containment field and kept her eyes on the blonde haired male. “We weren’t even touching!” The redheaded girl called out excitedly. Naruto was only half listening to her, his mind spinning with the implications of what had just happened.

“Naruto?” Kakashi called his name warily. The blonde looked up, realizing the two older men had gone tense at his lack of response. Uncurling his body, Naruto sighed heavily and shook his head.

“Kyuubi, he dragged me to his cage. He taunted me and I lost my temper.” He explained. Looking up, the blonde met Yamato and then Kakashi’s stares. They seemed to understand what he was thinking; Kakashi’s eyes narrowed and Yamato frowned outright.

“He dragged you?” Yamato repeated in alarm. Nodding, the blonde clenched his fists.

“What happened out here?” Naruto asked.

“You went still, the clone disappeared and Kyuubi’s chakra flared and lashed out.” Apricot answered warily. She paced around the containment field, glancing from one male to the next. The redheaded girl was reading their body language, understanding their expressions and micro-expressions.

“I lost control.” He growled. The blond could feel Kyuubi’s chakra, wanting to be let out, fueling his emotions and simmering beneath his skin. “The seal is getting weaker.” It was a fact they all knew but what had just happened was proof that they were running out of time.

“You can let me out now.” Apricot called out. Yamato looked to Kakashi, saw him nod before they lowered the barrier. The girl exited it as soon as she was able, darting to the tree line to get as far away from Naruto as she could. Kakashi moved to stand and Yamato stretched his limbs, several cracks of bones popping in his back.

“We can’t do this if your going to go berserk every time now.” The white haired male pointed out. Naruto watched him, having no answer to Kakashi’s statement.

“What are we supposed to do then?” Yamato moved to stand up himself. The brown haired male continued to stretch, gaze settled on the blonde.

“What are our options?” Naruto questioned dismally. If they had to stop testing seals, it would be impossible to finish it on time.

“Build another containment field?” The red headed girl spoke up hopefully. He winced at the idea; it would take weeks for another seal to be made. Naruto shook his head and thought of the implications. Sasuke had less than a month left of pregnancy, if they didn’t seal Kyuubi away properly by then, he wouldn’t be able to be there for the birth. He wouldn’t be able to control himself and he wouldn’t risk his family’s lives. He’d keep them safe, even if it meant staying away.

“That would take too long.” Yamato replied with a shake of his head. The redheaded girl frowned.

“Try again.” Kakashi told her. Naruto watched Apricot raise an eyebrow at the challenge before beginning to pace. The only option he could think of was putting himself in the containment field along with Apricot but that had its own set of risks. One of them could lose control; they might touch and break down more of the seal, or worse, kill each other. Regardless, it was risking the dwindling amount of time they had left before it broke completely. A few seconds later, the girl turned back to Kakashi, arms crossed over her shoulders.

“Put Naruto in the seal instead of me?” She questioned. Yamato snorted and glanced to Naruto, surveying his forlorn expression. The redheaded girl frowned, looking to Kakashi for an explanation.

“Wrong, you have less control than Naruto does.” The white haired male pointed out. She bristled at the statement, her blood red eyes narrowing and a scowl widening.

“Then put him in the containment field with me!” Apricot shot back angrily. Pausing not at the outburst but at her words, Naruto lifted his head a little higher. At least he wasn’t the only one who had thought of that.

“Took you long enough.” Yamato told the redheaded girl. The girl fumed, glaring between the brown haired and the white haired men. Kakashi looked like he was smirking underneath his mask and Yamato grinned as he looked to the blonde.

“Are we willing to risk it?” Naruto asked. “We could end up killing each other.” The brown haired male’s grin faded a little and the blonde glanced to his old mentor for an answer.

“Do we have a choice?” Kakashi responded. Shaking his head, the blonde stood up, forming the hand signs and let five more clones pop into existence on either side of him. One of the clones immediately began to pull off his jacket and shirt while the original Naruto moved closer to the containment field, standing at the edge of it.

“It’s different if just the chakra touches him, right?” Apricot questioned. “If we touch skin on skin, the seals connect Kyuubi’s chakra together but if its just chakra.” She trailed off, unsure of the exact ramifications. Naruto frowned as he looked from her to Kakashi who shrugged his shoulders helplessly. Yamato was quietly working on the variation of the seal, ignoring everyone else.

“Where do you want me?” He asked finally. Apricot stared at him and Naruto looked back expectantly. He was going to make this work and hopefully, it wouldn’t kill either of them. She resumed her pacing on the edge of the field, ignoring his question until Yamato set down his brush and let the clone stand up.

“On the edge, as close to the barrier as you can. I’ll stand on the other side and hope for best.” The redheaded girl answered finally. She watched him step inside the circle, standing on the very edge. The clone stepped around him and into the middle of the seal work, half-naked and shivering.

“Ready?” Kakashi asked the brown haired male. Yamato sighed, his breath coming out in a visible, wispy puff. Apricot stepped into the circle, standing directly across from Naruto and shook her hands almost frantically.

“Yeah.” He answered. Naruto glanced between the two men as they set their palms down on the seal. It activated slowly and the blonde tapped his fingers against his arm impatiently, it was different now that he was on the other side of the barrier. When it was completely sealed off, Yamato nodded and the redheaded girl stepped into the middle of the circle. The clone turned to face Apricot and Naruto watched as his clone and the young girl held out their hands, grasping the others in a firm handshake.

For several long moments, nothing seemed to happen. Kyuubi’s chakra didn’t pull him to the cage in his mind, didn’t escape from the clone or Apricot. Naruto leaned back against the barrier, waiting for something to happen. He almost didn’t notice the feeling of pressure building until it felt like it would burst from his chest. He felt himself being sucked back down into his own mind, standing once again in front of the fox demon’s cage.

“Welcome back.” Kyuubi growled. Naruto scowled, crossing his arms over his chest and glared back at the giant red eyes. “What, nothing to say?” He continued.

“I know what you’re trying to do.” The blonde answered. Anger simmered at the surface of his thoughts, kept at bay by focusing on his breathing. In and out, in even, measured breaths. Kyuubi’s eyes stared at him, red bubbling chakra forming inside the cage, climbing up the bars, encasing them but Naruto’s focus kept it from moving any further.

“And what is that?” The demon asked. He moved closer, his snout came out of the shadows and Naruto could see his wide fanged grin.

“Rile me up, get me to lose control.” Naruto stated. Inhale, exhale and repeat for as long as it would take. The nine-tailed demon watched him silently and Naruto stared back. He couldn’t tell how much time had passed; this was always a little different every time it happened.

“The Uchiha brat would know what to do, wouldn’t he?” Kyuubi interrupted his train of thought.

“Shut up.” Naruto responded quickly. He would not think about Sasuke, wouldn’t let the caged demon manipulate him.

“Think you can quiet me? Think you can stop me from freeing myself and killing you and everyone you’ve ever known?” The nine-tailed fox threatened with a dark chuckle.

“You won’t have the chance to free yourself.” Naruto replied. Breathe in and breathe out, focus on the rise and fall of his chest and keep control. Kyuubi blinked, his toothy smirk becoming sinister.

“And who’s going to stop me? That pathetic redheaded whelp? The one-eyed Uchiha freak and his little friend. You?” The fox demon asked. Before the blonde could respond, Kyuubi was chuckling. It reverberated in his cage and sent a shiver down Naruto’s spine as it echoed around him. His focus wavered and the blonde could feel Kyuubi react to it, his chakra creeping up on the bars, building against the edges of the cage.

“Yes.” Naruto responded. Closing his eyes, the blonde haired male forced himself to focus. He didn’t expect to come back to bodily awareness and the sensation jarred him. Blinking rapidly, the blonde took in the red-tinged sight of Apricot in the middle of the circle and Kakashi sitting just outside of the barrier, his hands still splayed on the ground. Kyuubi’s chakra was emanating from him, pulsing with restrained power as he attempted to get back under control through sheer willpower.

He watched as Apricot took several steps back from him, skirting the curved edge of the containment field. It took a few seconds of calming breaths to lock Kyuubi’s chakra away once more. When the red chakra emanating around him disappeared, he straightened from his position against the containment field, nodded and watched as Yamato and Kakashi released the barrier.

“What happened this time?” The blonde questioned. He stepped back, out of the circle and watched Apricot do the same.

“Same thing as the last one, just took longer for it to break down.” Kakashi replied.

“How long?” Apricot asked.

“Twenty minutes?” Yamato answered with a shrug.

“The seals have been lasting far longer than that before. Why does it feel like we’re going backwards now?” Naruto growled. The way the two older men tensed had the blonde taking a deep breath. He ran his hand through his hair before pulling on several tufts of it in frustration. Inhaling sharply through his nose, Naruto closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, letting the stress and tension go as much as he possibly could.

“Adding another section of the seal changes how Kyuubi’s chakra is channeled. It’s a good thing.” Yamato explained. Naruto could hear the wariness in his voice and could feel the concerned gaze on him. Watching him in case he lost control. “We need to eliminate as many possibilities as we can and this helps.” He took three more deep breaths, feeling as calm as he was going to get in this situation, and opened his eyes. Yamato was still cautiously watching him but Kakashi had turned his attention to Apricot who had dropped to the ground and was once again doing pushups.

“It’s getting late, do you think we should call it a night?” Kakashi asked calmly. It wasn’t dark yet and they had just started with an additional section of the seal, they couldn’t stop now.

“I can’t go home, not yet.” Naruto responded. Apricot paused mid-push up, looking up at him as she straightened her arms and moved to sit on her knees.

“Back to avoiding him?” The redheaded girl asked quietly. She tilted her head with an air of confusion, which was poorly disguised as curiosity.

“I can’t go back like this.” Naruto stated firmly. His control was tenuous at best in his current condition. If he went home like this, there was no telling what could set him off and just how much damage he would cause. “We keep going.”

“We can’t do this all night.” Yamato tried to explain. The blonde frowned but didn’t have a response. Instead, he turned to the white haired male to glare at him. The blonde curled his fingers into his palms, not caring that the sharp fingernails were breaking skin and fists filled with blood.

“One more, then we go home and start again in the morning.” Kakashi relented. He nodded to Naruto as Yamato sighed loudly. The blonde unclenched his fists and could feel the cuts heal themselves. It didn’t help with his blood that he had already spilled, which he wiped onto his pants and hoped Sasuke wouldn’t berate him for it later.

“I can go again.” The redheaded girl piped up. “Go ahead, make another clone.” She looked to Naruto, motioning for him to do it. Yamato sighed again but moved to grab his kit of ink and brushes.

“Kage bunshin no jutsu.” The blonde murmured. Only one clone came from the smoke, much to Naruto’s chagrin. He knew that Yamato and Kakashi couldn’t continue holding up the containment field overnight but that didn’t stop him from wanting to keep going on. The clone tugged off his jacket and shirts, sitting down in front of Yamato willingly to let him paint on another seal in the freezing cold.

He watched as Apricot moved to continue her pushups, focusing on his breathing and keeping calm. Kakashi closed his eyes, probably attempting to get as much sleep in as he could in the next few minutes. When the brown haired male finished, he set the ink and brushes aside, letting Naruto’s clone stand up. Slowly, the stepped into the circle and the original blonde followed suit standing just inside the circle. Apricot was gasping for breath as she stood up and stepped into the seal.

“You okay?” The blonde asked. He watched her over his clone’s shivering shoulders as Yamato and Kakashi activated the containment field. Apricot nodded as she continued to breath through her mouth heavily.

“Fine. Let’s go.” The redhead vocalized once the barrier sealed them in and they had gotten the nod from Yamato. She took a deep breath as she stepped forward and raised an arm in the clone’s direction. Naruto’s clone held up his own arm and grasped Apricot’s forearm. As expected, nothing happened immediately. The blonde continued to stand for a few minutes before leaning back against the barrier and sliding down to the ground.

“Tired?” Yamato called out to him from where he sat, his voice strained with concentration. Kakashi breathed out a laugh and the blonde frowned.

“Of waiting,” Naruto groused. “I feel useless.” Crossing his arms over his chest, the red-eyed blonde inspected his bloodied pants, picking at the freezing blood with his sharp nails.

“Having a different role to play doesn’t make you useless.” Apricot pointed out. Pausing, the blonde stared at his own blood. What she said made sense; his role was to provide clones to test the seals, looking for the strongest one that would contain all of Kyuubi’s chakra.

“Iruka teach you that?” Kakashi asked.

“It sounds like something he would say.” Yamato responded.

“I’m being serious. You’re going to have to continue carrying Kyuubi for the rest of your life if we survive this.” The girl retorted. “I won’t.” The redhead leaned to the side, their blood red gazes meeting. Of course he would continue to be the container for the nine-tailed demon fox if and when they created a seal strong enough to hold all of Kyuubi. That was why they were doing this all in the first place. Naruto looked her over as he formulated a response, taking in her round pupils that made him pause.

“She’s not wrong.” Kakashi hummed. “Sounds like you’re getting the short end of stick, Naruto.” The blonde could see the white haired male tilting his head out of the corner of his eye but he found himself focusing on Kyoko. He hadn’t seen her pupils in their original round form in days. At this close proximity, both their eyes were always vertical slits that imitated Kyuubi’s.

“Do my eyes look different?” Naruto asked. He watched Apricot blink and Kakashi still at the question.

“What do you mean?” She asked. Frowning, the redheaded girl looked him over before once again meeting his unblinking stare. Raising a hand, he motioned to his eyes and blinked once.

“Look at my eyes, do you notice anything different?” Naruto repeated. Apricot turned her attention to Naruto’s clone, taking a closer look.

“Your pupils are round?” She replied questioningly.

“I think I’m feeling something.” The blonde’s clone spoke up for the first time since it had been created. Apricot and the clone simultaneously looked down to their hands and Naruto leaned over as far as he could but his clone was blocking the view. He watched the redhead’s red eyes widen, her mouth opening in slack jawed surprise.

“That hasn’t happened before.” Yamato spoke up. He still sounded strained but the surprise in his voice had Naruto moving to stand up to get a view at what everyone else seemed to be looking at. He moved along the edge of the containment field, stopping as soon as his gaze landed on their clasped hands. Red chakra engulfed their forearms, pulsing out from wherever the clone and Apricot’s skin touched. Sasuke was going to want to see this for himself, was Naruto’s first thought.

“Is this good or bad?” Apricot looked around, not sure what to make of the new development.

“Kyuubi’s chakra isn’t escaping.” The clone pointed out hopefully. Naruto could see the changes now, the whisker scars on his clone’s cheeks were becoming less defined and he could make out his natural blue eye color as the red in his irises slowly started to recede.

“It’s being channeled.” Yamato pointed out. “Transferred.” He added.

“It’s working.” Naruto almost laughed out loud in relief. Seconds after he said it, the chakra flared, surprising everyone.

Apricot stepped back, pulling the clone with her. Kyuubi’s chakra lashed out, hitting the girl in the face and Naruto’s clone in the chest. The clone couldn’t withstand the hit and disappeared in a cloud of smoke as Kyoko was shoved against the barrier. Naruto watched as the chakra stilled, no longer having the clone as an anchor, before snapping back to the redhead. It encompassed Apricot for a few seconds while she tried to regain control and it began to fade when she did. The memories of the clone slotted themselves in his memory, the feelings it had felt ghosting across his consciousness. Naruto could feel the symptoms of Kyuubi’s chakra leaking return and watched them manifest physically on Apricot.

They both were breathing heavily, Apricot’s eyes wide; bloody nostrils flaring with every sharp inhale of breath. It seemed the chakra had manifested strongly enough to give her a bloody nose. He was fairing a little better, his own chest heaving as he stared right back at her. “Or at least, it’s starting to.” Kakashi commented. When he glanced over to the white haired male, Naruto could see the curve of his lips forming a smile under his mask. He took that as a good sign. The blonde turned his head, finding Yamato shocked into stillness at what had happened. Returning his gaze to the redhead, Naruto watched as she wiped the blood from beneath her nose and tentatively smiled. He smiled back, Sasuke was going to want to know everything and he closed his eyes, trying to etch every detail into his memory.

“That was amazing! We’re really getting close, do we have to stop now?” Apricot called out excitedly. Naruto focused on the memories, holding onto them and ingraining them in his mind as best he could. Forgetting details was inevitable, memories were never completely reliable but that wasn’t going stop him from attempting to solidify every action and feeling into words to tell his husband.

“We haven’t eaten in hours.” Yamato pointed out. A rush of air brushed against his entire body, they must have unlocked the barrier, he thought belatedly.

“Then let’s take a break and you or Kakashi can get us dinner,” Apricot pleaded before beginning to negotiate. “We can even take a few hours to sleep but do we really have to quit?” The redheaded girl sounded excitedly desperate. Opening his eyes again, Naruto could see Apricot’s determined expression, the flicker of hope in her gaze from where she stood on the other side of the clearing. He looked to Kakashi, could tell that he was inspired by the redhead’s optimism and then to Yamato. The brown haired male didn’t look to be as affected as the white haired male, his expression haggard with the bags under his eyes looking deeper with each passing day.

“We make one breakthrough and the idea of pacing ourselves goes out the window.” Yamato sighed. He rolled his eyes and slowly moved to stand up. “You’re getting the food.” Pointing to Kakashi, the brown haired male rolled his shoulders, popping them loudly with a low groan. Apricot was smiling widely, elated that she had convinced them to continue.

“My ass was getting sore anyway.” Kakashi shrugged. “What are we in the mood for?” He asked.

* * *

**January twelfth, still the thirty-fifth week,**

The little passenger was kicking again, right against his bladder. Sasuke groaned as he tried to cling to the last dregs of sleep and shifted, burrowing deeper under the covers. His need to relieve himself only grew as the little one continued to move and eventually, he gave in. Lifting the blanket, Sasuke slowly moved to ease himself off the bed. It was dark, sunlight peaking through the drawn curtains but as the pregnant male looked around the room, he could see that Naruto’s side of the bed remained untouched.

Frowning, the Uchiha made his way to the bathroom, did his business as quickly as possible, and made his way through the house. He looked in the all the rooms; a ball of anxiety forming in the pit of his stomach as every room remained blonde-less. Moving into the kitchen to take a seat, the dark haired male looked at the clock, it was well into the morning and the fact ran through his mind with increasing urgency. His husband hadn’t come home last night. Naruto didn’t come home last night. He hadn’t come home.

The sound of the front door opening surprised the dark haired male. Feeling his entire body jerk at the sound, hope blooming in his chest as he moved to stand up. “Good morning!” Sakura’s voice called out. Hopes dashed, the Uchiha made his way from the kitchen to the living room and found Sakura standing in the entry way. She was taking off her coat and shoes simultaneously, looking up as she toed her snow covered boots neatly against the wall. “Had breakfast yet?” His pink haired friend asked in a conversational tone.

“He didn’t come home last night.” Sasuke heard himself saying in a choked voice. He watched as Sakura’s facial expression went from worry-free to concerned as she took a step into the house. “Naruto didn’t come home.” The Uchiha repeated. It was getting difficult to take a full breath, his heart beating as if he had just run a marathon and as he stared into Sakura’s sea-foam green eyes, he realized he was having an anxiety attack.

“Sasuke, it’s going to be okay.” Sakura took another step closer, her hands coming up to his shoulders. She brushed her hands down and up the pregnant male’s arms, attempting to comfort him and calm him down. “You know you’re having an anxiety attack?” He nodded and let her lead him to the couch, helping him sit down and gripping his hand reassuringly. Sasuke began to inhale through his nose, focusing on controlling his breathing as his friend watched him.

“Thank you.” The Uchiha told her breathlessly. Sakura nodded in understanding and let him calm down in his own time. His little passenger moved again, kicking in Sakura’s direction and he placed a hand over the movement. The pink haired woman’s gaze trailed to his hand, relief evident in her expression. “Go ahead.” Sasuke murmured quietly. Moving their joined hands towards his stomach, the dark haired male motioned for her to do what she was thinking. Gratefully, Sakura placed her hand on his rotund middle, feeling the baby kick with a growing smile.

“Better?” The pink haired woman asked after a few minutes. Sasuke nodded, still focused on his breathing.

“You need to find Naruto.” The Uchiha told her. He could feel the panic rising again and he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply to stop the anxiety from returning full force. Sakura hummed quietly, moving her hand up to Sasuke’s shoulder again.

“I will,” The medic-ninja replied. “I’m certain he’s fine. Probably just got caught up and spent the night out at the containment field.” She told him confidently.

“Most likely.” Sasuke responded as he continued to concentrate on even breaths. He brushed his hand across his stomach, reassured by the life growing inside of him. “I don’t know why-“

“This situation is stressful.” Sakura interrupted him. “You’re weeks away from giving birth and Naruto is gone all day, putting himself in danger. It’s understandable and it’s going to be okay.” She reassured him. The Uchiha felt a twinge of annoyance at the coddling but he quietly accepted it. Sakura was only trying to help and her being there had helped in calming him down. With the annoyance came the hair on the back of his neck prickling, a physical reaction to the feeling of being watched.

The feeling was one he hadn’t had in weeks and hadn’t expected to feel in his own home. He didn’t know what alerted him to the fact that someone was watching them but it seemed that Sakura had let her guard down and hadn’t noticed. There was a quiet creak of the floorboards, purposely done to test how alert they were there and testing their reaction. The only thing that kept him from tensing up and alerting Sakura of the fact was his concentration of breathing but whoever had snuck into his home had done so to watch. If they hadn’t, they would have attacked already. That fact right there gave the pregnant male a pretty good idea of who it was that had snuck into the village, through the compound, and into his home.

“Go find them, I’ll be fine.” Sasuke told her. The pink haired woman tilted her head, looking him over carefully. He didn’t need to control his breathing anymore but it seemed to keep her focused on him instead of the intruder that was lingering just out of sight in the kitchen.

“You sure?” Sakura asked.

“Please.” The Uchiha replied, his voice just louder than a whisper. He watched as she smiled and squeezed his hand one more time before standing up.

“Do you want me to get Iruka to come and stay with you?” She asked as she moved towards the front door. Sasuke glanced to the kitchen doorway, letting his gaze linger for a second before looking back to Sakura just in case.

“No, I’ll be fine.” He answered exasperatedly. “Just bring Naruto back with you.” Sasuke told her. Sasuke listened to her shrug on her coat, slip her shoes on and open the front door.

“You got it.” The pink haired woman replied as she shut the door behind her. Sasuke let a few seconds pass before dropping the breathing technique completely.

“You can come out now.” The Uchiha called out. He didn’t have to wait long, the sound of footsteps came from the kitchen; mere seconds before the intruder came into view.

“She’s nice.” The white haired male leaned against the doorframe with a wide grin, his razor sharp teeth on full view. Sasuke quickly took stock of his appearance, his trademark purple sleeveless shirt but a sword noticeably missing from his back. “Surprise.” Suigetsu told the Uchiha.

“Suigetsu.” Sasuke said in response. The male from Kirigakure stared at him, taking in his altered appearance while the Uchiha kept his expression blank.

“Miss me? Karin and Jūgo send their hellos.” The white haired male told him lightheartedly. He purposefully refrained from making a comment about the Uchiha’s pregnancy, choosing to stalk into the room and collapse into the chair next to the couch.

“What are you doing here?” Sasuke asked. Shifting on the couch, he watched his old teammate’s grin grow wider.

“You know, we searched for you when you didn’t return.” Suigetsu answered conversationally. “Took us weeks to confirm you’d been brought back here.” He continued ignoring the Uchiha’s original question.

“Why are you here now?” The pregnant male repeated. He had been under house arrest for months and his team Hebi hadn’t been spotted anywhere near the village during that time. Scowling, the pregnant male refused to play along and shifted again, pushing himself up against the armrest into a halfway sitting position.

“Oh, I wanted to see this for myself.” Suigetsu waved his hand towards the Uchiha, obviously meaning his pregnant stomach. “We heard rumors that you were having a kid, didn’t believe the one where you were pregnant, our mistake.” He chuckled. Bringing up the pregnancy now was a diversion tactic, what he wasn’t saying was that Karin and Jūgo couldn’t get in with him without being caught.

“Well I am.” The Uchiha told him curtly. Purple eyes narrowed and Sasuke tensed as the man stood up suddenly, wishing that he still had his collection of kunai and shuriken stashed around the house. He hated feeling vulnerable, having no way to protect himself. Suigetsu caught on to his body language almost immediately, latching onto it, as a shark would blood in the water.

“You worried I’ll hurt your kid?” The white haired male asked immediately. Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke glared at him.

“No.” He stated. The steel in his voice seemed to be convincing enough and the Uchiha watched pale shoulders lose their tension.

“Good, I’m not a monster.” Suigetsu scoffed before grinning again. “Though the same couldn’t be said for Naruto. He’s your husband now, right?” The sword master prodded. It struck a nerve with the Uchiha but he kept his expression neutral, refusing to let Suigetsu get a reaction out of him.

“Hn.” His old teammate didn’t seem surprised by his lack of an emotional response but it didn’t seem to stop him from continuing. Taking a short step closer, Suigetsu leaned over and gave the pregnant male a close look at his pointed teeth.

“What are he and his friends doing out there?” He asked. It was too obvious to be an actual attempt at getting information. Likely, it was another ploy to get him reveal something else that he didn’t think was as sensitive as the attempt to completely seal Kyuubi away.

“Can’t get close enough to find out on your own?” Sasuke questioned back. Blinking, Suigetsu tried to imitate surprise, not quite being able to pull it off as natural.

“No, they’ve done a good job with security out there in the middle of nowhere.” The white haired male relented. He turned, walking around the living room, peering down the hallway that led to the bedroom and glancing back into the kitchen as Sasuke watching him.

“Karin was so upset when she heard you’d gotten married. No worries, she’s mostly over it.” Suigetsu tried again to strike up a conversation; intent on continuing to distract the pregnant male from the real reason he had snuck in to meet him.

“Is that really why you’re here?” Sasuke bit out in irritation. The man looked back to him, his expression carefully controlled as he shook his head. Looking away again, he took another slow walk around the room. Sasuke craned his neck to follow him, refusing to let him out of his sight.

“You’re here to stay.” Suigetsu murmured, barely loud enough for the Uchiha to hear. That was when it made sense to the dark haired male, the pieces slipping into place. He was why the remaining members of team Hebi had been hanging around the outskirts of the village for all these weeks. They wanted to know if he was coming back.

“Things have changed.” He responded, his voice barely louder than a whisper. Sasuke watched his old teammate spin around, the grin completely gone, replaced with a scowl.

“Well obviously.” The white haired male spit out with an eye roll. “You can’t exactly do much with a screaming little duplicate of your demon container of a husband ready to pop out any minute.” Gesturing with a flourish of his hand at the Uchiha’s burgeoning middle. Surprised by the diatribe against his unborn child, he placed his arm across his stomach.

“What will you do now?” The Uchiha asked. He watched the member of his old team move back to the chair, collapsing into it again with a frustrated expression.

“Go back to Karin and Jūgo.” Suigetsu shrugged his shoulders. “Hadn’t really thought past getting you back.” Sasuke knew what he was feeling, when he had first been under house arrest, not knowing what to do and unable to do anything about it.

“Have you acquired Samehada?” The pregnant male questioned. He watched as the white haired male glanced over sourly.

“Still looking.” Suigetsu huffed. This idea had already been forming in his mind but now it bloomed into a plan. Team Hebi needed a mission, a goal to strive for. It was how they started out and it would be the only thing to keep them going now it was no longer Sasuke’s mission pushing them.

“Start there. You do still want to be Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, don’t you?” He asked. With a keen eye, the pregnant male scrutinized his old teammate’s reaction. Frustration, reluctance, interest that he tried to disguise as anger, and that tiny sparkle that the Uchiha knew meant hope.

“I know what you’re doing.” Suigetsu grunted. The white haired male used the armrests of the chair to stand up again, loitering just in front of it as he raised his arms over his head. “Jūgo won’t like it, he still thinks you’re the only person who can control him.” That twinkle of hope was more prominent now, accompanied by a widening grin.

“You can convince him otherwise.” Sasuke responded with a shrug of his shoulders. Continuing to putter around the room, the white haired male mulled it over, growing more confident with every step.

“You’re happy here, right?” Uncharacteristically serious, Suigetsu looked him over again. “With your demon container husband in this crappy village, your old as shit house and soon to be spawn?” Concern was a look he had never seen from the white haired man. Fascinated, Sasuke thought about how to answer the question as they stared each other down. So focused on Suigetsu, he missed whatever it was that made the member of Hebi jerk his head towards the door. Second later, the white haired man had disappeared from view and the sound of the door opening had the Uchiha stiffening in his seat.

“Sasuke?” Iruka called out. Relaxing at the sound of his teacher’s voice, Sasuke glanced to the kitchen, making sure Suigetsu wasn’t lingering out in the open. The teacher stepped into the room with his winter jacket still on, looking the pregnant male over worriedly. “Sakura sent me, are you okay?” Nodding, Sasuke moved to sit up as Iruka unzipped his coat and moved back into the entryway to hang it up.

“Yes.” He said out loud. “I’m good.” Glancing back to the kitchen, the Uchiha saw a blur of purple disappear followed by a quiet click of the door to the secret passage in the ceiling being closed. Moments later, Iruka was back in the room, looking him over worriedly.

“Is there anything I can get you?” The compassionate teacher asked. He hovered just inside the room, ready to go get anything that the pregnant male might need. What Sasuke needed was to get Naruto to seal the secret passages around the house so another ambush like that wouldn’t happen again. If his idiot of a husband wasn’t incapacitated or dead, the only thing he knew for certain was that Kyuubi hadn’t escaped the barrier.

“I wouldn’t mind having my husband here.” He answered truthfully. Iruka opened his mouth and paused, stuck between being unable to give him what he wanted and not wanting to say no. “A glass of water, please.” The dark haired male spoke up once again. With a relieved smile, the teacher slipped into the kitchen. With a deep sigh, Sasuke stretched his legs out and felt the little passenger stir again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a reminder, this story is on HIATUS until I finish, followed by much quicker postings until I can stamp 'completed' on it.


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